The Taming of the Saiyan
by Romania Black
Summary: Chapter 37 Up! This chapter:Pan and Vegeta keep training, Gohan and Krillin get to start on the baby's room, and Trunks gets an unexpected visit! Please Read, Review, but most importantly, Enjoy the Story!
1. Someone's Shadow

**The Taming of the Saiyan**

**By Romania Black**

_**Hey all! Well, this is my first DBZ story, so please understand if I get somethin' screwed up! Anywhoo, I've seen the series alot, except for a bit of GT, but I've seen enough to kind of know what's going on. Story basically shifts from third to first person, the first person's view being in Marron's POV of course. Well, anywhoo, just sit back and enjoy the story! If you like the story, or have recommendations, please review for me and let me know! Your opinions shape whether I continue a story or not! Thanks, and rock rock on! **_

_**Romania Black**_

Chapter One: Someone's Shadow

It's not easy being someone's shadow. Living each day only to try and live up to the expectations of another. Goten knew this story all to well, as his older brother happened to be Son Gohan. Goten didn't realize he was a shadow when he was younger. Afterall, he didn't look like his brother; he looked like his dad, Goku. Goten and Trunks were always together, and true Gohan was stronger than Goten (He knew that already) was, but Goten didn't let it phase him. Goten was a strong warrior too, even if he wasn't as good as Gohan.

But as Goten got older, things started to emerge that came to Goten's most unpleasant surprise. Gohan met Videl, who was charming and gorgeous, and also athleticly strong. Goten started to realize he was jealous of Gohan. He didn't quite understand why he was upset that Gohan had met such a wonderful person, and potential mate, but it made Goten uneasy nonetheless. He started dating other girls to try and meet the standard that Gohan had set. Chi-Chi loved Videl, but none of the women that Goten brought home seemed to win his mother over as well as Videl had.

Goten noticed that Gohan was a better fighter than he was, so he started training harder. He figured that they both were out of the same two people, so didn't that mean both were equally strong? He trained night and day, forcing his body into physical strains and pressure to try and match up to his older brother's power. Hadn't Gohan beaten Cell when he was eleven? Why couldn't Goten? But all his training was met with futility. When Goten had finally trained as much as he could, he went to find his brother and battle him, but Gohan was no where to be found. By the time Goten was ready to fight Gohan, his brother was already a retired fighter and now what Chi-Chi boasted as a "scholar."

Now there was a field that Goten could never get on top of. Goten simply was not book-smart. He hated school so much that he usually skipped and went to the gym or flew around on Nymbus the cloud for a while. Of course, he'd get his mother's speech on how she couldn't comprehend why Goten couldn't be more like his brother. Smart, strong, handsome...basically as Goten could see, the perfect son.

But what was Son Goten? Goten knew he wasn't as strong as his brother, and from the way he went through women he obviously wasn't as handsome or as suave as Gohan. And Goten was certain that beyond the shadow of a doubt there was no way he would ever be smarter than Gohan.

Goten started to realize that he was just a shadow. Just a shadow following his brother's image of perfection. As Goten grew older, his jealousy turned to numb indifference, as he started to simply wander through the world as a simple being. He continued his run-through of women, several of which you will see in this story.

He moped about the Earth and lived without care or concern, until one day when one woman drove him over the edge and into the arms of the most unlikely person...

_**Well, sorry that was a short chapter, but it was kind of the prolouge I guess you could call it. Well, I hope you liked this little start of the story! Please Read and Review! THe next Chapter's on the way!**_

_**Romania Black**_


	2. The View From Upstairs

The Taming of the Saiyan

By Romania Black

_hey all how are we? Well, here's chapter two! Just a few notes:_

_Words in Italic are usually thoughts, or if in quotations are expressed thoughts. This chapter is in Marron's point of view, but the next chapter will revert back to third person. As I'm writing this, I understand this will probably be one of the more boring chapters, but in order to set up the next chapters its necessary to have this laid out to kind of guide you through the thoughts of the characters and to set up later events. _

_With that said, here we go! I won nothing of Toriyama! sadly_

_Romania Black_

_P.S. I thought I'd like to thank all those that reviewed the prolouge, Chapter One! You guys are what keep me writin' so I owe ya!_

_CheyaAngel: Thanks! I always thought that Goten and Bra seemed like a weird couple! Glad you're likin' the story! Hope it meets up to your expectations!_

_SammyStar: Thanks so much! I've never been the hugest Goten fan either, but when I thought up the idea for this story, it all just clicked, you know? Well, thanks so much for reading! _

Chapter Two: The View From Upstairs

_If Trunks hadn't called me into work that rainy Monday, none of this would have ever started. Sometimes I think about it and ponder what life would have been like if I had never been on that balcony on the second floor of the Capsule Corp. Industrial Office when the moment that changed my future forever happened._

It had been a year since the alien Bebi nearly destroyed us all. The event had changed everyone, especially Trunks, Goten, and Pan.

I was walking down the rainy street towards the Capsule Corp. building, thinking of the many ways I could have strangled Trunks when he'd called me thirty minutes ago. Trunks was so forgetful nowadays.

Thirty Minutes Ago

_RIIIIIIINNNNNGGGGG! _

I reached across my bed for the phone, picked it up and held it to my ear. _What time was it? _I glanced at the clock. The red lit up numbers read six 'O' seven. _Who would call me this early?_

"Hello?" My voice was groggy, but I didn't care. _Who would call me this early?_

"Marron?" Trunks. _Should've known_. I smacked a hand to my face. _Good Lord, what does he want?_

"Well, who else would it be?" _Yeah, I was cranky, but geez, why would he call this early? _

"Yeah, okay, anyway, are you working today?" His voice spoke with false innocence. _He knew good and well that I wasn't working today._

"You know that I'm not. Why?"

"Well, uh, heh heh," Trunks laughed nervously over the phone. "You see, Keroto had to drop out of the program because his wife just had--"

"You want me to come into work, don't you? Again?"

"Read me like a book," Trunks laughed.

"How many times have you called me into work to sub in for one of your workers?" _Too many, that was sure_.

"I know you didn't plan on it today, Marron, but--"

"I didn't plan on it today!" My voice grew louder as I sat up in bed. "Or the last time you had me come in, or the time before that!"

Trunks voice suddenly became deeper and lost its humorous quality. "Look, its only for about four hours, okay? Then you can go. I'm not asking for much, here Marron. Will you do this for me?" I hated when he talked serious like that. He sounded more like Vegeta when he spoke that way, and it sent chills up my spine how his voice resembled his fathers.

I paused and held the phone to my ear again when he had finished his rant. _What else could I say to that? _"Okay, Trunks, I'll come in this time for you."

I ran into the building as the rain started falling harder than before. _Why had I agreed to come in today? _A robot came and asked for my coat, which I placed in its arms as I walked towards the center of the room. Robots buzzed around my head as a familiar voice shot out from amid the noisy buzz of the mechanical beings.

"About time you got here, Marron."

Trunks smiled as he appeared at the base of the elevator shaft in front of me. A year had changed Trunks alot. He had grown a few inches, which was rare at his age of twenty-five. A year ago he'd been a much paler, scrawnier man who'd let several years of little or no training soften him into the business obsessed executive potatoe he was then. But after Bebi was defeated, Trunks went into an all out training frenzy. Now, a year later, he was tanner from the time in the sun, and more muscular. He looked more like Vegeta than ever, except for his lavender hair, which was still as short as it had been before. I had to smile. Trunks looked very ridiculous in a black suit and tie now that he had muscles and a tan.

"What's so funny?" He smiled a very un-Vegeta grin.

"You look stupid in that suit, that's all," I smiled.

"Oh," His face seemed to wither slightly, "Mom's been at me about this whole Capsule Corp. thing. She says that my training's gotten in the way of business. Perhaps she's right." He sighed as we strode into the elevator and the door closed behind us. The elevator hummed as he looked at the floor of the shaft. I looked at him. His face seemed harder and more stern than usual. "Keroto works on the second floor, second door on the right."

I sighed. _Deskwork most likely_. "Answering phone calls? Checking emails?"

Trunks smiled mischieviously, "Better than that." The elevator door opened and we walked out. We reached the second door on the right and he pushed it open for me. There was a single desk and two chairs in the room, a computer beside the desk, which was overflowing with paperwork and other miscellaneous items. The place was a complete mess to even say the least.

I let out a small gasp of disgust. _Had this guy not heard of organization at all? _"Cleaning?" I asked, turning to Trunks.

"Sort of," He grinned nervously. "Keroto needed someone to fax all these papers out to our distributors."

"But there's so many," I said softly, looking at the desk. It was going to take an hour just to sort out the papers into a pile that was translatable by humans. "This is going to take awhile."

Trunks dusted off his suit and headed out the door. "Well, I have utmost faith in your abilities to organize, Marron. I have a meeting to go to, so I'll be off then! I'll come back when the meeting's over." With that, he turned the corner of the door and was gone.

"Yeah," I picked up a filthy banana peel laying on the desktop, "Thanks Trunks." _I can't believe I chose to get out of bed for this. _

Four hours later, as promised, Trunks returned. Here I was drenched in sweat, dust, dirt, and blood (from several papercuts), but at least the desktop actually looked normal, and I was almost done with the faxing. I had no idea how many distributors this company had. I tried to put my blonde hair back into a bun, but it was too frizzy to even mess with.

"Ah, done already?" Trunks smiled and stepped back as I walked to him.

"Almost," I straightened my shirt and leaned against the door frame. Trunks patted my shoulder and held the door open for me. _Can't believe I let him talk me into doing this. _"There's still some more papers to fax."

"Forget about the rest," he sighed. "When Keroto gets back, I'll have him send the rest. He'll be overjoyed that his desk looks more...tidy."

I stared back at the desk and then to Trunks. "So I'm done?"

"Yeah, catch your breath our there on the balcony, okay? I'll put the remainding files in Keroto's send folder." He reached across and started to shuffle the remaining papers into a folder on the desk. I wondered how he knew which folder to put the papers in.

"How did you--?" I started to ask, but then it sank in that perhaps some questions were left unasked. I ran a hand to my head. _It was so hot in here_. _Perhaps it would be better to take a break outside. _

I walked onto the balcony of the second floor. The place was as busy as ever, but from the balcony I spotted a familiar face. No, two familiar faces. I stared down at the couple walking swiftly down the ground floor. It was Goten and Bra. I stared at them from the balcony, as I saw Goten round on his girlfriend.

"I don't even know why I date you anymore," Goten growled at the blue haired Saiyan-girl. "You're so stupid and childish sometimes! These trips are always so pointless!"

"_ME_? Childish? Do you know who you're talking to?" Bra stepped an inch from Goten's face. The daughter of Vegeta and Bulma had not changed much in a year, except perhaps get a little more spoiled and bossy. She swept her long, blue hair from her face and gave Goten a fierce glare. "You're talking to Bra Briefs here!"

"That's right," Goten snapped, "A bra! I'm dating a bra!" He turned from her.

"Yeah, go ahead, Goten! Make fun of my name! I don't care! I'm used to it by now!" Bra was hot on Goten's heels, as he sped walked to the door. "At least I'm not an over-obsessive compulsive coward who's spent his whole life trying to be someone he's not!" She stopped and let out a heavy sigh. Goten froze and spun around, his eyes lit up with fire.

At first, it looked as if he was going to explode on her, hit her, or something brash, but then he simply narrowed his eyes, as his hands dropped to his side. "Just shut up and go find yourself a new man, why don't you? I'm sick of this." And then he walked away.

"That's it? That's your break up line?" Bra smiled cruelly and placed her hands on her hips. "Well, good God, Goten, if that's the best line you got, I really don't seem fit to chase after you then, huh?" She turned away from him, took two steps and then turned around. "Goten, you're not serious are you? Hey, where are you going?"

But Goten was already gone.

I knew that Goten and Bra were probably the least likely couple to ever exist, but still they had lasted longer than I had ever thought they were.

My mind told me to go back into the office. Perhaps if I was lucky, Bra wouldn't spot me, and I could save myself the trouble of listening to her babble endlessly. Bra and I used to be such good friends, but nowadays she was so self-absorbed, that it was hard to talk to her anymore. I turned to go to the office door, but as I was turning, Bra's eyes and mine were met in a single glance. And that was all it took.

It was two seconds and I was staring face to face with Bra Briefs. "Marron? Oh my gosh, is that you?" She said in her high, girlie voice.

"Who else would it be?" I went to give her a hug, but she pushed me back with a hand.

"Why are you here in my brother's building?" Her eyes widened, "Oh my gosh, are you and my brother dating?" She grabbed my arms and shook me.

I backed away, "No! No, I'm just filling in today," Bra's face wilted slightly, "Why are you here?"

She tossed back her hair and gave a fussy look, "Goten and I were supposed to be having luncheon with Trunks, but he had some stupid meeting, so we hung out with my pals Kirsti and Lu-Lin, but Goten just had to make a big deal about the whole thing, so long story short, he got mad and just went out on his own, as usual." She pouted and ran a hand through her hair.

"Yeah, I saw that down there," _I could see why Goten didn't want to hang out with Bra and her posse_. "I suppose the view from upstairs is better than the ground floor, eh?"

Bra glared, "Yeah, well Goten's just being stupid as usual. He'll come back, you wait and see. If he doesn't though, daddy will certainly have no concerns," She smiled grimly and looked out the window of the building. The rain was starting up again.

"Are you sure? He seemed real serious enough from my view." He did too. The look on his face had been so angry.

"Don't worry about him. He's just a stupid Saiyan. They're all alike," Bra frowned a very Vegeta-like scowl.

"Yeah, I'm looking at one," I smiled. Bra shot me a glance and then placed her hands on her hips.

"Funny, Marron, funny," She sighed and then her face lit up. "Hey, Marron could you do me a favor?"

_No_. "Sure, what?"

"Take this," Bra rummaged through her pockets of her blue miniskirt, until she pulled out a small piece of paper with a number on it. "and give it to Goten. It's the number for the place we're eating at tonight. He's supposed to reserve a bench for us."

I took the paper shred with some blotchy number written in ink on it. "Why do you want me to give it to him?"

"I figure he's still going to be miffed at me, so why should I have to make him madder?" Bra smiled.

"He's mad at you, so you want me to give him the number to some fancy place so he can reserve a table for the two of you?"

"Yeah," Bra sighed passionately, "It'll be our make-up dinner. He'll forgive me and then we'll have a strong dose of make up s--"

"OKAY! Okay!" _Geez, gross! I don't want to hear that! _"I get it! I'll give him the note, okay?"

Bra gave me a pat on the shoulder, "Good girl. Do that for me, okay?"

I smiled away the disgust of her last sentence, "Sure. I'll go do it now, my work's done here."

"Thanks! I owe you!" Bra was walking down the stairs, with me trailing.

As the two of us walked across the ground floor, Bra turned to me and smiled. "I can't wait for tonight already! I've got to go find a new dress for the occasion! See you!" With that she was gone out into the rain, her red umbrella fighting off the drops.

As the door robot handed me my coat back it became very clear to me that Bra obviously did not realize how bad she had hurt Goten. The look on his face would've been enough to keep me away from him for at least a week. But no sooner had they called it quits, then she was wanting to have a 'make-up' dinner with him and start over. Shivers went down my spine as I tried to drown out the previous imagery that had popped into my brain.

Realizing that their relationship was none of my business, and that I had no right doing her dirty work for her by giving him the invitation to the make up make out supper, I decided that I might as well do it for her. I wasn't sure what I'd owed Bra in the past to do this for her, or why I was doing it, but something told me that it was me that had to do it.

Dad would've already slapped me on the head and told me not to get in a couple's affairs, especially that of a Saiyan's, but it was already too late for me. I was in over my head now, and I had no idea how big a hole I would dig myself into over the next few days until it was too late to climb out.

_Well, that's all for now! In the next chapter, Chi Chi is spazzing out, Vegeta and Bulma put up their dukes, and Marron's in the middle of Goten and Bra's fued! Stay tuned! Rock on, guys! You're awesome!_

_romania black_


	3. The White Hair

The Taming of the Saiyan

By Romania Black

_hey all how are we? Well, here's chapter three! Just a few notes:_

_Words in Italic are usually thoughts, or if in quotations are expressed thoughts. This chapter is in third person, and I've looked forward to writing this chapter for a while! It's a little long, so please read it all and try to get through it. If you have any suggestions for me, please do not hesitate to review this story! I would appreciate it! _

_NOTE: Rating has gone up, due to mild violent thoughts, sexual ideas, and brief mention of alcohol._

_With that said, here we go! I won nothing of Toriyama! sadly_

_Romania Black_

_Reviews:_

_Saiyan gril: Thanks for the review! Hoping the story gets better as it goes. I know where I want to go with it, it's just getting there that's the hard part! _

Chapter Three: The White Hair

Chi Chi had been married to a Saiyan, been through too many wars to remember, raised two handsome sons, and had managed to maintain herself mostly through it all. But there was one enemy that she couldn't face; that no matter how many times she tried to remove it, it came back.

The white hair.

She looked in the mirror that morning weeks ago, and noticed the single strand of white hair climbing down her bangs and settling perfectly in the front of her face, where she and everyone else in the universe could see it.

That filthy white hair that showed the most horrible secret of all. She was growing old.

Chi Chi ran a hand through her hair, ran a brush through it, ran a curling iron through it, and then, flusterdly, plucked the tiny hair out.

"That's not going to make it any better, Chi Chi."

Chi Chi turned to see her daughter-in-law Videl standing in the doorway. Chi Chi glared at her for a moment and then continued staring at the hair in the mirror. Sometimes her son's wife got on her last nerves. She just didn't understand yet, she was still so young. And what was she doing with her youth? Nothing, but lay around like she was already a retired house wife. Only grandmother's were retired housewives, or could be.

"MInd you own business and let me handle it, Videl, sweetie," Chi Chi grinned grimly at her daughter-in-law. Videl smiled and cocked her head,

"I'm just telling you, it'll keep coming back as long as you pluck it out."

"Well, I'm just telling you I'm older than you, Videl, so I know more about this," Chi Chi snapped.

Videl took a step back and laughed. "You? You know more than me? What do you know more about than me?" She placed her hands on her hips in that smart fashion that was considered a challenging stance by Chi Chi.

"Considering I've been married longer than you, been through more situations than you, and _sired more children_," Chi Chi stressed this line, "I'm confident that I do know more than you." She smiled at the stunned look on Videl's face. Both of them knew that Chi Chi had always desired Videl to have another child.

"What are you saying, Chi Chi?" Videl's face had reddened a certain extent. Chi Chi smiled simply.

"Well my dear, what are you doing right now?"

Videl frowned. "Watching you act like a fool."

Chi Chi shrugged this aside. Lame answer. "Where is Pan right now?"

Videl's face was fire, "Why are you bringing my daughter into this?"

"I asked a simple question."

"She's out with her father," Videl growled, "Why?"

"And what are you doing?"

"Chi Chi, this is ridiculous--"

"You're sitting here watching an aging woman plucking out white hairs! You're not spending time with your child!"

Videl's mouth dropped slightly and she laughed nervously. "Chi Chi, Pan is fourteen! She doesn't need me to play dollies with her anymore!"

"When I was your age," Chi Chi stood up, "I was playing with Goten _while _your husband Gohan was hanging out with you!"

"Okay," Videl shook her head in disbelief, "So you want me to spend some more time with Pan--"

"I want you to have another child! While your still young!" Chi Chi walked towards Videl. "You're not going to be young for very much longer! You take your youth for granted!" She ran a finger through her single white hair that was already grown back.

"Oh my gosh, Chi Chi your insane!" Videl yelled and turned away. "I am _NOT _having any more children! How many times do we have to go through this?"

"Videl, sweetie, I am just giving you advice---"

"NO!" Videl shot back, "You just want another grandchild because you're just now realizing that you're getting older and want to help raise another grandchild before you croak!" She turned around and walked out the door mumbling strange garbage and words Chi Chi couldn't understand.

Chi Chi stared back at the mirror at the lone white hair glaring back at her. Perhaps Videl was right. Maybe she was overreacting. She stared at the white strand again. The hair in the mirror told her otherwise.

Bulma stepped out of the shower and into her bathrobe. She could hear Vegeta yelling in the kitchen and a bowl smash on the linoleum. _He must have figured out breakfast wasn't done yet_, Bulma thought, smiling. She reached the sink and ran a brush through her hair. She had let it grow out a little, so it was now down to her shoulder, only in big curls. _My mom would be laughing her head off if she could see me now. I swore when I was young, I'd never style my hair this way, and look at me now!_

She ran the brush through her hair and then laid it on the sink. That's when she saw it. Poking out of the brush, among the many blue strands of hair was one solid strand of a different hue.

A strand of white.

Bulma stared at the strand for a long time, before doing what she would have done in any other situation.

**_"VEGETTTAAAAAAAA!"_**

Bulma burst into the kitchen clutching the strand with all her might and staring at it as if it was a grenade. Vegeta sighed impatiently.

"Why isn't my breakfast cooked, woman?" The Saiyan growled over the newspaper he was grasping.

"Vegeta," Bulma whimpered thrusting the hair into Vegeta's hand, "Look at it! Look at it!"

Vegeta held the strand close to his eyes. "So? What about it, woman? It's a strand of hair?"

"It's white! That's a white hair!" Bulma's eyes were bulging.

"And what does that mean?" Vegeta eyed her suspiciously.

"Oh, Vegeta!" Bulma sobbed and wrapped her arms around her husband, who gave her a disgusted look. "I'm getting old!"

Vegeta raised an eyebrow, "Old?" The concept was odd. He did not feel much older than he had been when he first came to Earth. _Wasn't she younger than him? _"How can that be? You're younger than me."

"Oh, Vegeta, you're a Saiyan! I'm not, so I age differently than you do." She grasped his arms and looked miserably at the strand.

Vegeta pondered this. He hadn't taken in this point. _So she aged differently than he did. Wait--_

"Does that mean my son will age as you Earthlings do as well?" Vegeta snapped with a raised eyebrow.

Bulma smiled softly. "No, I don't think he will. Saiyan genes are more dominant than human ones, so surely he won't age the same."

Vegeta let out a sigh of relief, then looked up to his wife's face. She looked petrified. He didn't understand how one stupid hair could bring the woman to her lowest level of self-esteem. "Quit worrying about the stupid hair and fix me some breakfast woman," he snapped subtly.

Bulma sighed and got up off of her husband's knee. She sniffled as she approached the refridgerator.

"Vegeta, I'm sorry, dear. It's just that," She pulled out a jug of milk, "I'm going to be old, and I don't have any grandchildren yet."

The paper slid from Vegeta's hands and fell onto the floor. His head did a sharp turn towards his wife.

"What?"

"Vegeta, Trunks is going to be a middle aged man shortly, and he isn't married yet!"

"On Planet Vegeta, he'd be much older before he would be allowed to even consider marriage, were he Prince," Vegeta smiled grimly. "Anyway, there is no one on this planet worthy of my son anyhow."

Bulma sighed, "Perhaps Bra will get married to Goten and then I'll have a grandchi--"

Vegeta was already standing and in Bulma's face. "_WHAT?_ Kakarrot's brat? With my daughter? _NEVER!"_

"Vegeta, if our daughter loves Goku's son, then there's nothing we can do about it." She folded her arms across her chest.

"Yes there is! I'll kill the brat! Where is he?" Vegeta's face and Bulma's were less than an inch apart.

"Vegeta, you will do no such thing!" Bulma glared at him.

"Watch me woman! Watch me!" Vegeta let out in a growl.

"_NO _you will not," Bulma snapped back, "And my name is Bulma, not 'woman', Vegeta!"

Vegeta and Bulma stared at each other, arms at their sides, but their eyes were on fire.

"My daughter," Vegeta said slowly, "Is not marrying Kakarrot's son."

"Don't worry, dad, she won't be."

The two spun around to see Trunks in the doorway, smiling grimly, holding his office bag.

"What did you say, sweetie?" Bulma rushed to him.

"Bra and Goten had a fight earlier, and I think they've broken up," Trunks said, laying his bag on the table. His eyes met his father's and then he turned away, walking into the rest of the house.

"Thank Kami," Vegeta sighed, grabbing the jug of milk and downing it.

Bulma scowled, "Vegeta, don't drink it all!" She stared back at white hair in her hand. _Perhaps Vegeta's right. Maybe I'm just being silly._

Marron was halfway down the street when she saw Goten storming into one of the local bars. _The Tanker. _It was a reputable spot for drunks or those down on their luck. Marron almost hesitated going in. _If father saw me in there..._ But then she realized what Gohan would think if he saw his brother in there as well, so she decided against her nature to follow him in.

Everything about the place reaked of misery. The faded brown wallpaper was chipped and peeling, as the floor was almost too sticky from the beer that soaked it. Trudging on the tips of her black heels, Marron made her way past two drunks stumbling through and started towards the main center of the building, the bar. Slow, sad music played overhead, and the dreariness of the room was on high.

Marron spotted Goten, as a fat bartender slid him a shot of some amber colored beverage. As he reached to down it, Marron thrusted her hand over the top of the glass. Goten, surprised, stopped and turned his head toward her.

"Marron?" He set the glass down and looked at her. "What are you doing in here?"

"I was sent to tell you," Marron stepped aside as a large man wobbled past her, "that you're supposed to go out to dinner with Bra tonight."

Goten looked at first as if he was going to snap on Marron, but then his face formed a gentle, 'I'm-not-surprised', smile.

"What?" Marron stared at him. She was expecting him to have already popped a gasket.

"Let me guess," Goten raised a finger to his mouth and tried to look pensive. "There's a piece of paper in your pocket with a number on it for a fancy dining restaurant and she wanted you to give it to me?"

Marron's mouth dropped open slightly. She hadn't expected this.

"And she wants you to tell me to call the restaurant and reserve a bench for two, and be there by such or such time. Am I right?" Goten smiled and leaned back in his chair, taking a small sip of the liquid in the shot glass.

"How did you know all that?" Marron gasped.

"Sorry to say, but you're not the first person Bra's sent to come and get me to make up with her. She's done the same routine a zillion times. Usually works too, sad to say. Not a very original approach, you know, but hey," He smiled up at Marron, "What do I know about that sort of thing?"

Marron's cheeks suddenly felt a little hotter. Bra was going to use Marron to soften Goten up, and then convince him to get back together with her. Bra had done the same routine before. Marron suddenly swooned a step.

"You okay?" Goten grasped her shoulder to steady her.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Marron sat next to him, "I just need to sit down I think."

"Sure," Goten offered her his drink, but she shook her head. "Nothing? Cola and rum? Martini? Long Island tea?"

"No, I'm good, thanks." Marron stared at the bar stool, never feeling more stupid for being there.

"Then she'll ask you to tell me that I should start dating her again, because she deserves someone like me and I deserve someone like her..."

"Well you don't!" The words rushed out of Marron's mouth before she could stop them, "You deserve someone better than that!" Marron slapped a hand to her mouth. She shouldn't have said that.

Goten smiled, "You sure you don't need a drink? The whiskey's not bad..."

"I'm sorry, no. I'm fine." Marron raised a hand to her head. _What was she doing?_

"You serious?" Goten laid his head on one of his hands. "I deserve better than Bra?"

"Well, if she's done that to you before, and you know about it, then why do you still date her?" Marron asked.

Goten's face lit up slightly, "Probably because after the dinner, we usually have great se--"

"Stop!" Marron slammed the palm of her hand onto Goten's mouth, where she saw clearly a smile still there. "I've already been informed."

"Bra's talking about THAT to everyone now?" Goten frowned slightly, "Geez."

"Look, here's the number she gave me," Marron reached in her pocket and pulled the number out, "Do what you want with it, okay?" Marron decided to get out of the situation and the bar, which was starting to make her feel sickly.

"Hey," Goten turned to her before she was too far to hear him, "Can I call you later, if dinner doesn't go over well?"

Marron didn't say anything at first. She didn't want to get in the middle of anything between them, but she couldn't find it in her voice to say no.

"Sure, that'll be fine." Was all she managed before she was out the door.

Goten smiled and stared at the piece of paper. He read the numbers over again once more before tossing the piece of paper in the trash.

_Well, hope you liked this installment. Review this story and give me some hints if you will! They're veeeerry helpful! Thanks a million you guys! TTFN!_

_Romania Black_


	4. Dinner Date

The Taming of the Saiyan

By Romania Black

_Wow! Thanks so much for the reviews! They've really made me happy about my work and all! LOL You guys are sooo awesome!_

_Reviews:_

_CheyaAngel: Thanks! I'm an OC person too, but in this case, I just thought Marron would be someone cool for him to hook up with...or DO they? LOL I really want to expand on Marron as a character, which is probably what I'm going to do in the next few installments...but thanks for the review! XD _

_Sinful Sakura: Hey thanks so much! Glad you're liking it! I'm finally starting to get to what I've wanted to write about since the beginning, but you know you can't just start in the middle of a story without giving it some back up, you know? well, thanks for reviewing! Hope you like the rest of the story! _

_Having said that, here's Chapter four! It's a little long but oh so worth it I think! Hope you all like it!_

_Romania Black_

_Disclaimer: I own nothing of Akira Toriyama. :( _

_note: Still rated T, although this chapter probably shouldn't be, it's more like K, but oh well, we're keeping the rating for now._

Chapter Four: Dinner Date

"Well," her voice was softly monotonous, but each word felt like a small prick on her skin, "You're the one who got yourself involved."

"Mother, I know that," Marron turned away from the dishes she was doing to stare at 18. Her mother had a finger pensively on her lip, and was staring at Marron with a look of mixed scowling and amusement. "I'm not a little girl anymore. I know when I get involved in a situation."

"You should have stayed out of it," the Android sighed. "Now Vegeta will be angry..." Her voice trailed off in a strained sigh.

"Well, he can get over it!" Marron let one of the dishes clank loudly in the sink. "Besides, why would he be angry? He _hates _Goten, anyway."

"He'll still be mad," 18 waved a hand at her daughter, "he'll be mad for no particular reason, but that won't change the fact that he'll be moody and Hell to be around." She sipped from her teacup.

"Mom, I think you're overreacting," Marron pulled the drain on the sink. "All I did was state what I thought. It's not like I broke them up!"

"What did you do?" Marron's father, Krillin, had entered the room. 18 gave him a small glance, and then sipped her tea again.

"Our daughter has gotten between Goten and Bra's little fuss," 18 sighed softly.

"Eck," Krillin swallowed somewhat loudly, "That's not good. Getting in between two Saiyan's fusses never is."

Marron eyed her parents skeptically, "You're both overreacting. There's nothing wrong with what I said or did. Nothing's going to happen."

Krillin scratched his head and smiled slightly,"Whatever you say, dear. I quit getting into these little squabbles a long time ago. If Goku could see us now..." His voice trailed off as he headed into the living area. Marron turned to her mother.

"Mom?"

"If you say nothing's going to happen," 18 sipped her tea, "Then I believe you. But when something does, don't say I didn't tell you so." Her blue eyes sharpened as she stared at her daughter. It was usually a look that meant 'you're-going-to-be-wrong-and-I'll-be-right.' Marron stared at her mother, and then the two smiled slightly.

_I guess we'll have to wait and see..._Marron thought as she put the last dish up.

Videl sat in the living room of Chi Chi's house, scrolling through some outdoor recreation magazines. They were very old and outdated, but since Chi Chi had practically begged her and Gohan to come over, Videl couldn't think of anything better to do. Chi Chi was acting so weird lately, but Videl had to sympathize with her. The aging woman had never been the same since Shenron and Goku left a year ago. Videl pitied the woman intensely, except when she was going on about how Videl should have another child.

As she turned the page of one of the magazines, Videl sensed another presence enter the room. It was Pan. Videl couldn't believe how in one year, Pan looked so much different. Pan had grown an inch for one thing. Her legs were longer and somewhat gangly, as if they didn't know what to do with themselves. Pan's orange bandana had somewhat dissappeared it seemed, and her raven hair was growing longer. When Videl asked to cut it, Pan would violently shake her head and beg for her not to. After a while, the begging got more annoying, and Videl let the arguement go. It wasn't worth it to Videl.

Pan walked up to her mother, dressed in an oversized purple sweatshirt and blue shorts, Pan tugged at a lock of her upper-back-length hair and stared at the magazine Videl was looking at.

"Home landscaping?" Pan smiled skeptically at her mom. "Are you that bored?"

Videl winked, "I thought I could get some tips on what to do with the lawn at home, eh?"

"Yeah right," Pan plopped down in a chair beside her mother, "Our lawn could use it."

Videl laughed, "Yes it could. Where's your father?"

Pan made a scowl on her face, "He's with grandma. They're talking about grampa and stuff." Her eyes trailed away from her mother's. Videl knew that in the year that he'd been gone, no one could have missed Goku more than Pan.

Seeing the hurt in her eyes, Videl reached out and patted Pan's shoulder, "You okay, honey?"

Pan smiled weakly, "Yeah, 'course I am. Just thinkin' about him and all. It's been a year already."

"It has, hasn't it?" Videl said softly. The room was oddly silent; neither of them saying a word. Both simply reminiscing.

"Whatcha all doing? Is this some weird female ritual or something?" The two looked up to see Goten standing in the doorway.

Goten was dressed up for something. He had a long black jacket on, his hair was actually in a spiky style that looked 'meant-to-be', and he was wearing black slacks and dress shoes. He smiled at the two women, who were looking befuddled at him.

"Wow! Goten, you look good!" Pan exclaimed, looking at him. Videl nodded her head.

"Not bad, Goten. What's the occasion?"

Goten blushed slightly, "Nothin' much."

"Yeah right!" Pan jumped up and down in the chair, smiling wide. "You have a date!"

"Do you now?" Videl smiled softly, letting her face rest on her wrists. "With whom?"

Goten smiled mischieveously, "None of your business."

"Ooooh!" Pan jumped up out of her seat, "Is it Bra?"

Goten's smile faded a bit, "Well, it was going to be, but," He paused and looked at the floor for a second, "plans have changed, so you know."

Videl smiled serenely, "I see. Does you mother know about this?"

Goten's face actually turned a shade paler, "What? She's here?" He looked around nervously.

"Of course she is, Goten. Where else would she be?" Videl raised an eyebrow.

"I don't know, I thought she was with Gohan or something," Goten checked his watch, "Well I gotta run. I've got a date to pick up!" He strolled past them and out the door. Videl caught the impression that Goten did not want to meet his mother before leaving.

Pan turned to her mother looking slightly confused. "So if he isn't taking Bra, who is Goten taking?"

For once, Videl didn't know the answer.

Marron was sitting on the couch, her legs hanging off the side of it, her parents on her right side. Typical night at Marron's house: Dinner, dishes, TV, popcorn, bed. _Good God, _Marron thought to herself, _I have the dullest life ever. Why do I have to be such a loser? _

"You're not a loser," 18 spoke up over the loud shotgun noises coming from the television.

Marron jumped up and gave her mom a fierce glare. "_MOM_! Geez, I hate when you read my mind!"

"Well, if you didn't leave it open so much, maybe I wouldn't!" the Android smiled as she stuffed in a handful of popcorn.

"Both of you are ruining the movie!" Krilling whined as he turned the volume of the TV up another four notches.

18 grabbed the remote from him, "You're going to make us all deaf! Turn it down!" She turned it down some more notches. Krillin sighed and leaned forward to hear the movie better.

"Seriously, though, I have no life," Marron sighed. "I thought after schooling, life got more social and better!"

"Who told you that lie?" Krillin smiled.

"I don't know," Marron hid her face in her hands in frustration, "I'm so bored."

"Well, if you were dating someone, you wouldn't have this problem," 18 scolded.

Marron glared at her mother. "Mom, you know, not every second a guy comes and rings the door bell asking for a date!"

**_DING DONG!_**

_**DING DONG!**_

_**DING DONG!**_

Krillin jumped out of his seat, spilling popcorn everywhere. Marron flinched, but 18 just looked at her husband and sighed, picking up popcorn that was scattered on the floor.

"Geez, that was weird!" Krillin exclaimed. Chills ran down Marron's spine. It had been odd.

"Will someone answer the door?" the Android sighed impatiently, grabbing the popcorn bowl that Krillin had tossed at the television.

Marron walked to the door and opened it, half expecting a salesman or one of the neighbors. But to her surprise, it was neither one of those.

It was Goten.

Marron was speechless. He was dressed up in the best clothes she'd ever seen him in, and here she was standing in her pajamas. Marron felt her face turn bright red as she tried to casually lean against the door frame.

"Uhhh," Marron stammered, "What are you doing here?"

"Well, you did say to come by if I couldn't get that dinner date with Bra, right?" Goten smiled and took a step inside the house.

"I don't recall you saying '_come by_.' I remember you saying you'd _'call_,' though." Marron tilted an eyebrow as she shut the door behind him.

"Who is it, dear?" 18 said, bending down to pick up another kernel of popcorn.

"Goten, mom."

"Goten?" Krillin jumped up and rushed to him. "Hey, son!" He grabbed his hand and shook it vigourously. "Lookin' more like Goku everyday," He said in awe.

Goten smiled, as his face turned slightly pink, "Thanks, sir. Everyone tells me that."

"That's because it's true," Krillin smiled.

"What's the honor of having you here, Goten?" 18 laid a bowl of carpet-ridden popcorn on the table beside them.

"Well, actually, I was coming to ask Marron if she wanted to come with me to dinner," He motioned to Marron, who was staring at him in shock.

18 gave Goten a mildly surprised look, but Krillin was beaming.

"Of course she will," Krilling smiled.

"What?" Marron turned to her father. "I am?"

Krillin leaned towards Goten, "Can we have a moment, son?"

Goten smiled, "Yeah, sure. I'll wait outside."

"Thanks," Krillin beamed as he shut the door behind him, "She'll be out in a moment."

"Okay," Goten said as the door shut.

Marron turned to her father, "Excuse me?"

"Marron, weren't you just complaining about how your life was so boring? Goten's been real nice to ask you out, and you're saying you don't want to go?" Krillin gave her a sideways glance.

"But," Marron muttered, "Look at me! I'm not dressed to go anywhere!"

"Go upstairs," 18 breathed impatiently, "And get something on then!" Marron gave her mother a shocked look; she'd never seen her mother so fierce.

"Mom?"

"Marron, darling, you've complained night and day about how no one asks you to go anywhere, and now someone has, so you're going to go with them. Understood?" She gave Marron a would-be death stare.

Marron sighed and started up the stairs, "Fine. Give me ten minutes."

Ten minutes later, Marron was walking back down the stairs, this time in a short blue and white floral sundress and tan wedges that made her seem a few inches taller. Her hair was slicked into a bun, with turquoise pins holding it in place. She went to the door and opened it. Goten was in the driveway in Chi Chi's car.

"Bye mom, bye dad," Marron half-smiled and waved to them as she walked towards the vehicle.

18 and Krillin smiled and waved before shutting the door.

"Kind of scary back there, hun," Krillin scratched his head.

"Too forceful?" 18 frowned.

"Eh, doesn't matter now," The diminuitive earthling smiled. "She'll have fun, eh?"

"So," Goten smiled and opened the door for her, "Sorry to interrupt your busy night and all."

Marron turned slightly pink as she stepped into the car, "No, I wasn't really doing anything, so no problem." Goten hopped into the driver's seat. "I'm glad you asked me to come."

"You didn't seem like it," Goten shifted the car in reverse as they backed down the drive.

"Well, I was just not expectng you to come, and you didn't call or anything, so,"

"I was afraid you'd say no, to tell you the truth," Goten smiled nervously, as they drove off.

There was a silence in the vehicle for a moment. Marron didn't know whether she'd say no or not if he had called.

"So, is the Le' Bueche fine with you?" Goten broke the silence.

"Sure," Marron adjusted her seat, which was pushed back very far. _Probably for Gohan or Goten. _

Goten laughed as he saw her lean the seat forward. "Yeah, sorry about that. Dad or Gohan or myself usually sat there. I forgot how far back it was." He smiled and his stare drifted off for a moment.

Marron had forgotten that Goku had rode in this vehicle. Everytime Goku's name was mentioned anymore, it was as if some force drew everyone's attention to it. Marron could remember Goku a bit, his trademark smile and spiky hair. Goten looked an awful lot like him, but his eyes were a little softer than Goku's had ever been, more like Chi Chi's as he got older.

Goten had changed a lot in a year. His hair had grown out a bit, and looked more like Goku's than ever. His skin was still pale, but he was more muscular, since him and Trunks had started working out again. He had Goku's smile and the way he laughed resembled him. It gave Marron a warm feeling just being around him.

Goten's thoughts must have focused back on the present, because he adjusted the temperature setting in the car and made a turn onto another street. "So, ever been to Le' Bueche?"

"Once," Marron smiled reminiscently, "But mom ended up mad at our waiter and we left before we were done eating!"

Goten chuckled, "What'd he do to make her mad?"

"Dumped tea all over me as he was walking by. The entire pitcher and all the glasses full with it! I was soaked; plus I was only like five, so of course I was crying up a storm!" Marron giggled. Goten had tears in his eyes from laughing. "So mom and dad and me left, and mom swore up and down we'd never go there again!"

Goten smiled at her, "Well, we won't tell them we went here, okay?"

"Sounds fine with me," Marron said as they drove up towards the restaurant. It was a marvelous brick structure with a veranda and upper balcony. The entire building was bedazzled in silver lights and lace drapery. Obviously, it was upper crust material.

"Wow," Marron breathed as Goten parked the car.

"What?" Goten asked as he opened her door.

"Well, it's been a long time since I've been here, and it looks so much more beautiful than it did when I was five." She whispered to him as they approached the entrance of the restaurant.

Goten beamed, "Well, usually stuff is either more impressive or less impressive as a child than it actually is in real life, so I understand. This place is very nice inside, I'll admit."

A man dressed in a black formal suit took Goten's jacket. "May I assist you? Do you have an appointment?"

"Yes, sir," Goten handed him the jacket, "Briefs and Son, party of two, top floor balcony." The man nodded his head in understandment.

"Follow me, please, sir and madame."

As the two walked up the stairway, Marron turned to Goten, "Briefs and Son?"

"That's just the account name for when Bra and me ate here. We have a table on the balcony usually reserved for us a lot. It's a good view from there," Goten whispered to her as they reached the second floor.

Still following the waiter, Marron gave Goten a suspicious look. "Bra didn't want to eat here tonight?"

"Here's our seat," Goten smiled as he led her out the door of the restaurant and onto a gorgeous balcony. There were three tables on the balcony, two of them with couples already eating. The middle table was empty. The waiter sat them down and gave them menus, then turned to leave. "Put the coat in the downstairs compartment," Goten instructed him before he left.

"Goten?"

"Hmm?" He was eyeing his menu.

"You never answered my question," Marron said, her eyes glancing nervously at him. "Did Bra not want to eat here tonight?"

"Well, you know," Goten sounded uneasy, "She never did give me an answer on the subject and all--"

"You didn't ask her, did you?" Marron demanded, her menu falling flat on the table.

"Well, Marron, maybe I didn't want to!" Goten snapped back fiercely.

Marron ran a hand to her head. "Oh, Goten, why didn't you?" She said queasily.

"May I take your order, Madame?" The waiter was back.

Marron glanced up at him, a little embarrassed, "Uhm, just get me a water, thank you." She turned back to Goten.

"Saki," Goten replied bluntly. The waiter left the balcony, as a couple left with him from their table.

"Well?" Marron pressed.

"I'm tired of making up with her, dealing with her crazy father, and having to listen to her crap," Goten said, his face turning red, "All I want to do is break up with her. Why are you mad?"

"I never wanted to get in the middle of you two," Marron's voice replied in a strained voice.

"You never did get between us!" Goten shot back, "We were going to break up anyway, so what's the deal?"

"But now, if Bra finds out, she's going to get mad at me! I'm supposed to be her friend, not the one stealing her boyfriend!" Marron realized she'd said this a little loud, because the couple next to them glanced her way with upset looks on their faces.

"How can you steal her boyfriend if he's not her boyfriend to begin with?"

"She thinks you're still going to be, though! She's going to be so mad," Marron's voice trailed off.

"Let her be," Goten smiled grimly. "What's she going to do about it?" The waiter popped in and gave them their drinks.

"Ready to order?" He said in a stiff, stuffy tone.

"You?" Goten glanced to Marron.

"Sure," Marron looked anxiously at her menu, the image of Bra strangling her in her sleep fresh in her mind, "I'll have the roast Fillet Mignon."

"Water Chestnuts and Chow Mein for me," Goten said as he handed their menus to the waiter, who left abruptly.

"I still can't believe you didn't call her!" Marron exclaimed, taking a sip of her water. "I told her I'd make sure you did!"

Goten drank from his glass and gave her a sharp, cunning look. "Just tell her you forgot. She's dumb enough to believe it."

The other couple had gotten up and left, so it was only the two of them now on the balcony.

Just then, shivers ran down her spine. Something Bra had said had just flashed into Marron's subconscious. "_I can't wait for tonight already! I've got to go find a new dress for the occasion!" _

"Goten, she got a new dress and everything!" Guilt was stabbing at Marron in the pit of her stomache.

"So?" Goten took another sip of saki, "She gets a new outfit every other day. Why's it matter?"

"I don't know," Marron sighed, placing a hand over her eyes.

"Sounds like you're sticking up for her," Goten said with a frown.

"No, I'm not. It just seems wrong to me, that's all." Marron ran a hand to her hair and slicked it some more. Hairs were starting to work their way loose.

There was a period of silence among them, then the waiter came through the door with their food. He handed the plates to them and then quickly left them as soon as he'd came.

"That was quick," Marron said in amazement.

"It usually is here," Goten took a giant bite of his Chow Mein. "Listen, Marron. I just didn't want to go and get into another arguement with Bra. I'll talk to her tommorrow about it, but right now, I just want to share this evening with my good friend Marron, okay?" His voice had softened quite a bit.

Marron smiled a smile that must have made her seem like a fool, because Goten chuckled at her. She felt her face burn slightly and had to turn away. When she did, her eyes met with the eyes of someone else standing outside the clear balcony door.

Standing there in a long, billowy, low-cut red halter dress was a woman with long blue hair and dark aqua eyes.

Marron's face turned five shades paler, and Marron knew they were dead.

It was Bra.

_Bwahahahahahaha! Heh heh! What now? Well, next Chapter's going to be fiery, let me say that! Please Read and Review guys! Let me know what you think of it so far! Catch ya on the flip side,_

_Romania Black_


	5. Perfect Disaster

The Taming of the Saiyan

By Romania Black

_Well well...Chapter Four was so much fun to write! LOL Now onto Chapter Five! _

_By the way, this chapter is rated T due to brief language issues and some violence later on, with some mild sexual themes...just to warn ya! LOL_

_Disclaimer: I own nothing of Akira Toriyama! sobs_

_Reviews:_

_CheyaAngel: LOL thanx for another review! Can I call you this story's #1 fan? Cuz you're reviews are makin' you my #1 fan! LOL Thanks so much! The reviews really get me pumped to type the next chapter! Don't worry, I'll update as sooon as I can!_

_Thanks so much you guys!_

_Romania Black_

Chapter Five: Perfect Disaster

If looks could kill, then Marron and Goten would be six feet under right now. Once the initial shock had left her, Marron suddenly realized that they were in the worst position imaginable.

Marron, Bra's supposed best friend, was sitting at the most romantic restaurant, at the most romantic location of the place, eating with the man that Bra was supposed to have had dinner with, and reconnect with. It didn't help matters that now Bra was ten feet away from them and blocking the only exit.

After the initial shock of seeing Bra there, panic and chaos began to set in and do their magic.

Marron thought the best thing to do was handle the situation calmly. "Goten?"

"Hmmm-hmmm?" Goten mumbled over his Chow Mein.

"Well, I don't want you to panic or anything," Marron suddenly realized she was sweating, "But, uhm, we have a problem."

"What?" Goten said with a mouthful of food. "Is the bill high? I didn't think we ordered a whole lot--"

"No, no," Marron's heart started pounding louder, "It's just that--" Her voice was caught in her throat.

Goten tilted his head sideways. "Is your order wrong? Geez, the best place in town and--"

"Bra's here!" Marron gasped out. Goten stared at her for a moment, then leaned towards her.

"What did you say?" He whispered, his face full of concern.

"She's here. She's standing right outside the door," Marron breathed stiffly. Her heart was racing.

Goten looked and his eyes widened and he almost did a double take. "Oh, geez, yeah she is! Wow," He looked at her again, "Not a bad outfit choice though. That's probably the best dress she's ever purchased from--"

"Hold on," Marron butted in, raising a hand to Goten's face, "Aren't you concerned? She's standing right outside the balcony!"

Goten smiled, "So? This is a popular place to eat; she's just waiting on a seat."

"Uh, no, she's not, Goten," Marron couldn't believe how dense he was being. "She's looking for you!"

"Why? I didn't call her to tell her we were eating here," Goten gave her a suspicious look.

"You didn't have to call her! She was assuming you would make the reservation and meet her here!"

Any color that Goten had left in his face dissapeared. His eyes looked at Marron with disbelief.

"No!" He gasped.

"Yes! That's the impression I got when you stormed out and she wanted me to follow you!" Marron felt her face turning red with embarrassment.

"Why didn't you say that before?" Goten stammered with a groan.

"I thought that was obvious!" Marron snapped.

"Oh, this isn't good," Goten mumbled, sipping the rest of his saki quickly.

"What?" Marron looked around nervously.

"She saw us," Goten said, his wide eyes staring at his plate.

Sure enough, stomping towards them, her steps echoing like the beating of Marron's heart, Bra was rushing towards them. With a flash, the screen door to the balcony flew open with a satisfying crash, causing half the restaurant to turn towards them. Face reddening, Marron tried to disappear under the table, but Bra was already to her.

"Well, well, well," Bra's voice was as fiery as her red dress, "What have we here?"

"Oh," Goten tried to play his voice off as innocent. "If it isn't Bra!"

"_If it isn't Bra!" _The demi-Saiyan said in mock baby voice, "Don't pull that crap with me, Goten! I see what's going on here!"

"Bra, it's not what you think--" Marron started, raising her hands in front of her to calm Bra down.

"We were just having dinner," Goten said with a small smile.

"You were supposed to have dinner with _ME_, remember?" Bra snapped.

"I don't recall you telling me that," Goten said with a glare.

"That's because this little cheat was supposed to tell you!" Bra pointed at Marron. Marron couldn't help but notice that Bra was getting louder with each word she spoke. People seemed to be listening to their conversation from the other tables.

"Bra, if you could keep it down, I'm sure Goten and I can explain this whole mess to you once we've--"

"Just shut your mouth for one second, you back-stabbing little wench--!" Bra retorted.

"Excuse me?" Marron stood up.

"Both of you!" Goten was standing too.

"You're stealing my boyfriend!" Bra said furiously. "I knew you had to be the type who steals men from other women! I knew it!"

"Oh, shut up!" Marron was closer to Bra now. "You're so dumb! Why would I steal anyone's boyfriend?"

"I don't know," Bra smiled viciously, "Why are you with mine?"

"I'm not your boyfriend--" Goten said, taken aback.

"He's not yours anymore!" Marron interrupted him. "So why don't you leave us alone?"

"You're supposed to be my friend, Marron!" Bra said, her face full of fire. "How could you?"

"You're the one that dumped him!"

"Oh, so you think that gives you permission to just walk up and take him away?"

"Uh, ladies," Goten had just noticed that people were staring at them.

"Uh, duh!" Marron fired back. "If he's not your boyfriend, anyone can do that!"

Bra looked hurt, "I asked you to give him the number and have him reserve us a spot! Was that too much to ask?"

"I did give him the number!" Marron spat, "But he just didn't want to go back to you!"

Bra's face reddened with embarrassment, "That's a lie! You told him I didn't want to get back together didn't you?"

"No, he already knew your routine! I didn't have to!" Marron snapped.

Bra was an inch from Marron's face, "You dirty little tramp--"

"Is that your best?" Marron smiled evilly. "I've had so much worse!"

"BITCH!"

Bra grabbed Marron by her blonde bun and slammed her down into her seat. Goten stared at her in shock and was about to grab Bra, but Marron sprang back up and tackled the demi-Saiyan to the ground. The two started to smack and slam each other's heads onto the floor of the balcony, almost all of the restaurant looking at them now. But neither of them cared. The two former friends were slugging each other like a bunch of primitive animals fighting over the same mate.

The mate, Goten, who was standing out to the side as if he'd never seen anything like this. Goten didn't know what to do. Any chance of ignoring the attention of the other customers had vanished when the two hit the ground, so what now? Suddenly the waiter came running onto the balcony and tried to pull the two apart, but to no avail. He turned to Goten with a furious look on his face.

"Any more I can get you, sir?" The waiter said in a cold low voice.

"Uhm, the check if you would," Goten tried to say with a smile. The waiter glared at him and rushed off downstairs.

About three moments later, five ushers had to pull the two apart, as the manager of the restaurant came in with the police squad. Goten explained to the police the entire situation, amongst the profane screams of the two women, who were tugging against the grip of their ushers with such force, the ushers were practically begging the police team to take them away.

"It's not that bad. These two are old friends," Goten smiled nervously at the very rich and fancy looking manager.

"Bitch!" Bra screamed against her usher's grip.

"Whore!" Marron yelled back. The two users gave each other a disturbed look.

"Sir," The waiter approached Goten with a smug look on his face, "You're check, sir."

Goten read it. It was more than he'd expected, but payable.

"Mister Son Goten," The manager said in a stiff, stuffy tone, "Would you like our police team to escort them out of the restaurant?"

"Uh," Goten smiled uneasily. This had never happened to him before. "Just get them outside and I'll, uh, make sure they stay apart from each other, okay?"

"Anything to get them out of my restaurant!" The manager yelled, as the two women started screaming at each other some more.

The ushers and the police dragged the two downstairs, as Goten tried to sneak downstairs with them unnoticed by the many people murmuring and laughing amongst themselves as they left.

"Well, that was interesting," Goten tried to say innocently. Marron was sitting next to him in the car, her bun now a messy string of knots and fuzziness. There was a bruise on her forehead the size of a golf ball, and her lip was busted. Marron actually smiled as she looked at him.

"That was my first fight," She said softly. "I can't believe it."

"Not bad for your first round," Goten chuckled. "However, next time can we pick a more isolated spot to duke it out? Like, not a restaurant?"

"I'm so sorry, Goten," Marron sighed as she touched her sore lip, "I acted like a fool."

"Eh, I'm not complaining," Goten smiled. "Bra deserved a good fight, you know, and I think you gave her one!"

"So were the police taking her home?" Marron blushed.

"They were going to take her to her car and then I don't know," Goten turned back onto another road. "She looked pretty rough when we left, but I think she can get home okay."

Marron saw her reflection in the side view mirror, "Wow, I look horrible!"

"You're not too bad. Just a little scuffed," Goten turned the car again.

"I can't go home looking like this!" Marron cried out. "My parents will kill me if they knew I got in a fight with someone!"

"Really?" Goten looked at her in disbelief. "Even 18?"

"Especially 18!" Marron squeaked.

Goten didn't understand why this was, 18 seemed like the one who'd _want _her to fight, but that didn't matter now.

"So you don't want to go home?" Goten stared at her with an awkward glance. _What was she saying?_

"I don't want to face the wrath of my parents with a busted lip and swollen face, yeah," Marron said cynically.

"Okay! Okay!" Goten said quickly. _Bad question. _"So," _This was very odd_, "Do you want to crash at my house?"

Marron stared out the window for a moment. "Hold on, let me call them."

"What?" Goten blurted out in shock.

"Just hold on," Marron smiled and dialed her parents house.

****

****

**_RINGGGGGG! RINNGGGG!_**

"Whazzut?" Krillin fumbled around in the dark for the phone. His eyes glanced hazily at the clock. 12:03 am. He groaned and picked up the reciever. "Hello?" His voice was a half-asleep mumble.

"Daddy?" It was Marron. Krillin's eyes opened a little more.

"Marron? Where are you?"

"Daddy, I'm so sorry. Goten and I were out and about at the restaurant you know, and--"

"Sweetie, it's after midnight," Krillin interrupted groggily. "Why aren't you home?"

"Well, dad, Goten had something to drink and I was going to drive him home," Marron replied sweetly enough. Krillin nodded his head subconsciously. His daughter knew better than to let someone drive anywhere intoxicated.

"Well, that was very nice of you, dear. Very responsible."

"Yeah, well, is it okay if I stay over at his place?" Her voice was very quiet.

Had Krillin been fully awake, the answer would've been immediately 'no', but his groggy mind was slower than usual. "Huh? Why?"

"Dad, you know how I can't drive in the dark very long without getting tired," Marron said in almost an embarrassed whisper. "I can't drive home alone, and Goten's been drinking. Do you want me to fall asleep while driving and run off into a ditch?" Marron's voice cut like a knife.

Krillin frowned sleepily. "I'm sorry, hun. I forgot. I'm so," He yawned, "sleepy. Sure. Just make sure to come home early, so mom doesn't get mad, okay?" He yawned again.

Marron was smiling on the other end of the line, "Oh, okay daddy. I will be home early! Thanks so much! Love you!"

Krillin smiled, "Love you too," and hung up.

He rolled over in bed and bumped up against 18, who gave a small grunt and rolled over to face him.

"Who was that?" 18 whispered lazily.

"Just a salesman," Krillin murmured as he fell back asleep.

"How'd you do it?" Goten stared at her befuddled.

Marron grinned, "Dad's easy to talk to when he's half-asleep. It's mom you have to watch out for when you call the house."

"Do you really fall asleep while driving at night?" Goten cocked his head towards her.

"Actually, I do. I can't drive alone at night; I get sleepy," Marron stared out the window.

"Wow," Goten said in awe. "Good thing I'm not really drunk."

"Eh, you'll have to lie for me on that, sorry," Marron blushed.

"Not a problem," Goten smiled. Then his eyes glanced at her again. "So why do you really want to stay at my place?"

"Huh?" Marron asked.

"You'd rather camp out at a friends for the night than go home? What's up?"

"I told you. I look like crap now," Marron smiled softly, "But by tommorrow, when I don't look like I just came from a cat fight--"

"Which you did," Goten interrupted.

"I'll be able to tell my parents the whole story and maybe they won't be so mad at me," Marron sighed and stared out the window.

Goten smiled as they pulled into the driveway, "Yeah, sure. Sounds to me like one big excuse to sleep with me."

Marron stared at him for a moment, but then simply smiled and undid her seat belt and climbed out of the vehicle.

Goten, more surprised than anything at her silent reply, smirked and walked to the door of his house.

"Okay," He unlocked the door, "Second door on the right is mine. Don't worry, first door's the bathroom. Go straight to my room and don't say a word until I get there. I don't want to wake mom up." The two walked inside.

It was spookedly dark in the house. Marron did as she was told and went to the second door on the right, and walked in. Goten was right behind her and shut the door, flipping on the light switch afterwards.

The room was mostly green and red, the bed white with green stripes. It was a cluttered room, with clothes and magazines littering the red carpet.

"Sorry about the mess," Goten blushed a bit, "Uh, cleaning's not my thing."

"Don't worry about it," Marron smiled and sat on his bed. It was comfy enough. "So where can I camp out at?" She smiled.

"Wherever," Goten gave her a sharp look, "Don't think I'm trying to put the moves on you or anything. What I said back there was just me joking, you know?"

Marron smiled mischievously, "Oh was it?"

"Yeah," Goten smiled as he walked to what seemed like a walk in closet. He disappeared behind its doors. "I would have you stay in another room, but if you want to leave early, it's probably better you stay in here. My room is closest to the door."

Marron laid on her back onto the pillow beneath her, "I see. Good plan."

"Yeah, I thought so," Goten reappeared with blue and green boxers and a white shirt on, a blanket in his arms. He stared at Marron on the bed for a moment with an interesting look on his face, as if he was dumbstruck, then he laid the blanket on her.

"What's this for?" Marron had noticed his glance.

"Well, just in case," Goten winked.

"_WHAT_?" Marron cried out, then ran a hand to her mouth, realizing she'd been too loud.

"Don't worry," Goten smiled. "Mom's deaf as a doorknob. I was just getting it for you so you can have something to cover you up. I figured I'd get in bed, and you could sleep on top with the blanket, so if mom _does _come in, she'll know we ain't done nothing."

Marron stared at him for a moment. "Yeah, I know, it's dumb," Goten frowned and climbed into bed.

"No, no!" Marron shook her head in denial, "It's not dumb. I was just amazed at your logic on that one," She placed the blanket over her and laid down. Goten smiled nervously.

"Well, I guess I can honestly say now I've slept with you," He chuckled and turned on his side. Before long, he was snoring.

In all the years Marron had known Goten, she'd never known this side of him before. She suddenly felt the urge to do something. Kiss him, hug him, something. But the tiredness started to take her, and the next thing she knew, she was falling asleep. Before she did, however, she kept thinking to herself how strange this night had been, and what awaited her the next morning...

Marron could feel the dawn's sunlight on her skin. She opened her eyes, seeing Goten still on his side asleep. He must have been as tired as she was. Marron glanced at the clock, which read 6:25 am. If she hurried and got home, she could be at her house before he mother and father woke up. It would work out after all.

She wanted to thank Goten for all he'd done for her, but she didn't want to wake him up either. She softly sat up in bed and was about to roll out and go home. She figured she could call her dad on her cell phone and have him pick her up a little ways from the drive, where he wouldn't be heard by the Sons, and then he could get her home in time for her mom to wake up. And then, and only then, would she explain what had happened the night before. Marron smiled to herself, it was going to work out perfectly.

"What are you doing here?"

Marron froze halfway out of bed. Her head turned slowly towards the doorway. Standing right in the center of her exit way was a gangly legged girl with black raven hair and dark eyes.

Pan stared at Marron with a very confused look on her face.

"Uh, uh, uh," Was all Marron could say. She hadn't taken into account that Pan had stayed the night too.

"Why are you in Uncle Goten's room? Why are you dressed up? Why were you in Goten's bed--" Suddenly her eyes grew enormous.

"_NO_! It's not what you think!" Marron cried out. She knew what Pan was thinking, and it was completely off-base. But Pan had a nervous grin on her face. "Pan, I know what your thinking, but it's not like that!"

"Geez, you don't have to lie to me, Marron, I'm a big girl," Pan said stubbornly. "I understand."

"No, no, it's seriously not like that!" Marron was shaking her hands in front of her face. "You see, me and Goten went out to dinner--"

"OH!" Pan's face suddenly lit up, "You were his date! I see!"

"Who was who's date?" Another voice said from behind the doorway. The figure stopped short of Goten's doorway. It was Videl, in a night gown.

"Uh, oh," Pan whimpered and gave Marron a horrified look.

Marron looked as if someone had shot her in the gut. Videl took one look from Marron to Pan to Goten who was still asleep in bed, to back to Marron. Her eyes lit up and she gave a somewhat startled cough.

"Uhm, Marron, dear? Do your parents know you're here?" Videl asked with a slight motherly tone.

"OH MY GOODNESS!" Chi Chi appeared from the other side of Videl. Marron's worst nightmares were confirmed. "There's a young woman with my SON! OH my LANDS! Marron, is that you dear?" Chi Chi squealed and squinted and Marron.

"Yes," Marron managed to whisper in utter embarrassment.

"OH MY GOSH! I HAVE TO CALL YOUR PARENTS AND SHARE THIS WITH THEM! HOLD ON!" Chi Chi ran to get the phone.

"I guess they will now," Pan sighed. Marron thought she might as well kill herself now.

The screaming of Chi Chi must have woken Goten up, because a loud groan issued from his bed, and Goten popped up from the covers, facing not only Marron, who looked petrified, but also an anxious Pan and a confused Videl.

"Uh," Goten glanced towards Marron, whose face couldn't get any redder, "Well, I guess that didn't work out according to plan, huh?"

_Well well well...Can't wait to find out what happens next? Have no fear! The new chapter will be here before you know it!_

_LOL, Please keep reviewin'! You guys rock!_

_Romania Black_


	6. The Trial

The Taming of the Saiyan

By Romania Black

_Wow...I had a lot of fun writing Chapter Five, so you can imagine how I was anticipating doing this one! LOL! Well, I also was soooo happy when I looked in my inbox and saw all of those REVIEWSSS! You guys have TOTALLY made MY DAY! I love all you guys! You're the greatest! Well, enough of me gushing, let's get on with Chapter Six! Still rated T, of course..._

_Disclaimer: I own nothing of Akira Toriyama! sobs_

_Reviews:_

_Cheya Angel: Thanks, me amigo! I often wonder what will happen next too, if I get stuck in a point of the story! Marron and Bra will duke it out later, that's for sure...LOL _

_Sinful Sakura: Thanks for the tip, Sakura! LOL I'll have to do that when I get into a pickle! LOL LOL LOL_

_Killah Cam: Thanks a million! Welcome to the Fold! ()_

_Snoro:  I try and update as soon as I can! LOL I know! Once I get onto a story I like, I want to know what's going to happen next! Cliffhangers are a buzz-kill, eh? LOL But I love using them! THanks for reading!_

_Jay: I'm liking this story too! LOL Glad you're enjoying it! Rock on!_

_Thanks so much you guys!_

_Romania Black_

Chapter Six: The Trial

_Well, _Marron thought sarcastically as she sat on the couch in the Son's living room, _at least that wasn't awkward or something..._

It took ten whole minutes for silence to enter the chaotic Son house. Pan was anxiously trying to tell her parents what she'd walked into, Videl kept switching glances from Pan to Marron with a very motherly stern look on her face, Goten was sitting on the bed with his face in his hands trying to drown out the scene before him, Gohan had just woke up and was trying to figure out what in the world was going on, and Chi Chi was babbling on the phone to who Marron thought was most likely her parents. _Yes_, _Marron's plan had gone smoothly. Smoothly down the path to Hell._

Marron somehow made it out of the bedroom and to the couch where she was now. The reflection of her in the mirror beside her showed that her mouth didn't look as bad now, and the bruise on her head was starting to de-swell. _Well, at least that was improving somewhat._

Marron felt someone nudge her and she turned to see Goten sitting down on the couch beside her, his weary eyes wide with drowsy shock.

"So," He breathed.

"It's not as bad as I thought it'd be," Marron admitted. "I figured they'd be angrier."

"My mom?" Goten managed to let out a smile, "mad at a woman sleeping with her youngest bachelor son? Get real."

"Well, technically," Marron forced a small smile too, "I wasn't sleeping _with _you. Just _beside _you."

Goten leaned toward her, "About that. Remember when you told me I'd have to say I was drunk to get you in the clear?" Marron nodded, "Well, uh, for the sake of the moment, how's about you tell Trunks I _did _sleep with you, just to rile him up?"

"Are you _serious_?" Marron gave him a small, playful shove, "I will certainly not!"

"Okay," Goten shrugged, "I guess I'll have to do it the old fashioned way, then."

Marron shook her head, "Maybe you'll get the chance one day. If I'm still _alive _that is," Marron was almost sure she felt her mother's presence drawing nearer.

Videl appeared in the living room, the stern motherly look still on her face. "So," She paused and sat down in a recliner across from the two. "Just so you know, Marron, you're parents said they'd be here shortly." Videl's face was unreadable.

"Videl," Marron started, "It's not at all what you think, I'm sure!"

"You don't have to say anything," Videl placed a hand in the air, "Pan's already told me how she saw the situation."

"What'd she say?" Goten looked skeptically at his sister-in-law.

Videl smiled softly, "She said it looked as if you were having a slumber party."

Marron exhaled loudly, followed by Goten. "Oh," They both sighed.

"I have no doubt in my mind that you two didn't do anything you weren't supposed to," Then Videl raised an eyebrow, "Of course, why you two were in the same room together is quite beyond me..."

"WHAT?" Chi Chi had popped around the corner, "What did you say, Videl?"

Videl tried to smile at her, though it was obvious she didn't want to answer the woman, "Goten and Marron didn't do anything Chi Chi. She was just sleeping in his room."

"Well, I should hope they didn't do anything!" Chi Chi exclaimed, "They're not married yet!"

Marron and Goten both gaped at the old woman, Videl fell out of the recliner, and Pan made a disgusted face.

"Ewwww!" Pan cried out, then made a teasing face at Goten, "Goten and Pan, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S---"

"Pan," Videl gave her a silencing look. Pan stopped the teasing, as Gohan entered the frame.

"What's going on now?" Gohan said, sipping his morning coffee. Videl sat back into her seat.

"Grandma wants Goten and Marron to get married!" Pan bursted out. Gohan spit up his coffee.

"Wha--what?" Gohan gave a skeptical look of disbelief to Videl, who rolled her eyes towards Chi Chi's direction.

"Chi Chi thinks that Goten's going to get married to Marron," Videl sighed grumpily.

"Miss Son," Marron smiled and looked toward Chi Chi, "Goten is a good friend of mine, but we're not thinking of starting a relationship at the moment."

"You were in his room," Chi Chi said simply. "You slept the night in his room. You're not a couple?"

This time, all eyes in the room went to Marron, who'd turned very red in the face. Goten merely yawned.

"She's right, mom," Goten sighed, "We're not a couple."

"OH," Chi Chi stamped her foot, "My youngest son finds himself a girl and now he won't admit it!" Chi Chi stormed into the kitchen.Videl looked towards Marron.

"Don't worry about her, Marron, dear," Videl sighed. "Chi Chi's getting old, and now that she's realizing it, she's going to start acting weird and trying to push her family into doing ridiculous stuff," Videl paused, seeing the odd look on Marron's face.

"How do you know all this?" Marron asked her with a small smile.

"My father's mother was exactly the same before she died," Videl answered bluntly. Gohan laid a hand on Goten's shoulder.

"Yeah, so expect mom to be trying to push you into marriage and children and all that stuff," Gohan said with a grin. Goten simply shrugged his hand off and looked at Marron.

"Don't worry, Marron," Goten said to her as the outside door opened, "Mom's more bark than she is bite. I doubt there's anything she can do to further your embarrassment."

Marron smiled at Goten, but just then her smile faded to horror as she saw her mother and father enter the room. The look on 18's face was one of anger, mixed with concern. Krillin looked more scared of 18, than anything, but his face did show anger at Marron as well.

"Oh, glad you could join us, Krillin," Gohan said uncertainly. Krillin gave him a weak smile.

"Wish I could say the same," He whispered back to Gohan, motioning with his eyes to his wife, who looked as if she was about to explode.

"Marron," 18 said so sharp, it felt as if Marron's guts were being stripped apart, "An explanation is expected of course for all of this."

Videl sat up in her seat, "Take a seat, 18. This could take a while." The Android sat down, her eyes never leaving Marron's face. Marron was always afraid of making her mother angry, and at this moment, she had never seen her madder. Even Videl gave Marron a _you're toast_ look. There was an awkward silence.

"Uh, Krillin," Gohan eased to the edge of the room, by the door, "Have I ever shown you my dad's uh...Budoki trophy collection?"

Krillin eased backwards toward Gohan, "No, uh, I don't think you have."

"Well, then, Goten!" Gohan grabbed Goten by the arm and drug him out of the room with him, yelling as the three ran out of the room, "LET'S GO LOOK AT IT! WE'LL BE IN THE TROPHY ROOM IF YOU NEED US!" And the three vanished from sight. Pan was not far behind them.

Videl shook her head, dumbfounded, "Men are so stupid sometimes."

"So when is someone going to explain what is going on?" 18 snapped. Videl eyed Marron, and then the Android.

"Go ahead, Marron," Videl smiled slightly.

"And that's when you showed up," Marron finished, thirty minutes later. Videl was grinning, her head resting on her hand. 18 had a look on her face that expressed a mixed look of confusion and amusement.

"So," 18 finally said, a pensive look on her face, "You beat up Vegeta's daughter, was too embarrassed to come home and tell us, so you spent the night with your date, whom you did nothing with, but then before you could come home, you were confronted by Chi Chi and your wedding was planned?"

Marron sighed, "Yes, that's about it."

For a second, 18 didn't say anything, but then she exploded in laughter. Marron, looking confused, jolted in her seat. Videl was laughing too, holding onto 18's arm for support. Marron felt her face turning red, and her cheeks burning.

"Mom! Videl!" Marron cried out, embarrassed that her parents were laughing at her entire ordeal. _It hadn't been funny for her!_

18 wiped away a tear from her eye as she looked at her daughter. "Well, just so you know, you're still in trouble for not coming home, but I think I can forgive you for beating up Bra."

"I thought you'd be mad about that. That's why I didn't come home," Marron stammered.

"Well, we would have been," 18 smiled, "You would have gotten in trouble either way. I'm just glad you didn't do anything stupid that you'd later regret."

"I think everyone can agree on that," Videl said beaming.

Marron laid back against the couch, relieved that at least her mother wasn't furious at her anymore. Any kind of punishment was better than her mother's rage. "What's my punishment?" Marron looked over to her mother.

"Oh, I don't know," 18 smiled. "How's the next month stuck in the house doing chores without tv or radio sound to you?"

Marron groaned, "No going out for a month? Chores for a whole month and no radio or tv? Gee--" Her mother raised her eyebrows, "--Uh, actually, that's alright. I can work with that." Marron smiled nervously.

"Good," the Android said serenely.

"Say, the boys have been gone a while. Want to come with me and find them?" Videl asked the Android, standing up out of her seat.

"Sure. Marron, we'll be right back. Don't slip off," 18 smiled.

"Oh, I won't," Marron said as the two walked off out of the room.

For a moment, all Marron could hear was their footsteps leaving the room, and then silence. But then another set of footsteps started to grow louder. Marron turned around to see Chi Chi entering the room.

"Hi, Miss Son," Marron said, as Chi Chi walked towards her. She had something in her hand. "What's that?" Marron asked, pointing to the object in her hand.

"Oh, this?" Chi Chi said nonchalantly, raising the item into the light. It looked like some sort of fruit. It was yellow and resembled a peach crossed with a lemon. "It's just a Wollawong."

"A Walla-what?" Marron sputtered.

"A Wollawong," Chi Chi said placing it in her hand. "You can try a bite. It's really good." Marron noticed that one of the ends had been ripped off. Chi Chi saw her looking at the missing end. "Oh, don't worry about that. I gave Goten a piece of it already."

Marron nodded in understandment and then took a bite off the end that hadn't been eaten. "Never heard of it."

Chi Chi gave a short nod, "Make sure and swallow dear," She said with a small amount of anxiety. Marron swallowed the fruit, which was actually very sweet, and gave Chi Chi an odd look.

"Why did you say that?" Marron asked.

"Say what?" Chi Chi said innocently.

"Say to make sure and swallow it," Marron was now looking grossly at the fruit. _What had Chi Chi gave her?_

"I was just talking to be talking dear," Chi Chi said sweetly, but now Marron could tell there was something else behind her words.

Just then, Videl and 18 entered the room again, this time followed by the trio of men and Pan. Videl stopped short of the doorway when she saw what was in Chi Chi's hand. Her face paled slightly, and her voice was shaky.

"What is that?" Videl pointed to Chi Chi's hand that contained the fruit, which Chi Chi stealthily tried to hide behind her back.

"What is what?" Chi Chi smiled.

"Huh?" Gohan appeared by Videl's side. "Was that what I think it was?" Gohan's face lit up with surprise.

Marron had never seen Videl so shocked. "Chi Chi that isn't---!" She gave Chi Chi the most horrified look Marron had ever seen.

"Looks like a peach and a lemon mixed together," Pan said bluntly from behind Chi Chi, who spun around at her granddaughter's voice.

"Pan! Don't scare people like that, sweetie!" Chi Chi said grasping her chest with her freehand. Videl reached out and grabbed the fruit from Chi Chi. Before Chi Chi could react, Videl was waving the fruit in Marron's face.

"Did she offer you to eat this yet?" Videl's voice was full of fear laced with anger. "_DID SHE_?"

Marron was so surprised, it took her a moment to find her voice, "Uh, yes,"

"Oh, my," Videl swooned and handed the fruit to Gohan. 18 and Krillin stared at it too.

"What's going on?" the Android said with a curious glance to Videl.

"What is it?" Krillin asked as he poked the fruit with his finger. Chi Chi was about to reach out for it, when Videl rounded on her mother-in-law.

"_HOW COULD YOU_?" Videl yelled, causing a startled Pan to back out of the way.

"Well, it's too late now. Both of them have ate a piece of it!" Chi Chi smiled with vicious triumph.

Videl's mouth dropped open. "_WHAT_?"

"What's going on?" Pan asked, tugging her enraged mother's shirt.

"That's what I asked," the Android sighed next to her.

"This _is _a Wollawong, isn't it?" Gohan said, as he examined the fruit in the light. His face was full of surprise and amusement.

"What's a Wollawong?" Krillin asked, looking from his daughter to the fruit in Gohan's hand and back again.

Videl gave a angry huff, "You just had to do something stupid, didn't you Chi Chi?"

Chi Chi was all smiles, "It's what I do best, isn't it?"

"Can someone," Marron interrupted loudly, "Explain what's going on!" Goten nodded his head in agreement.

Videl gave Marron a concerned glance, and then grabbed the fruit from Gohan's hand. She held it closer so Marron could take a good look at it. "This is a Wollawong fruit. It's located where Chi Chi's father, the Ox King once lived. It only grows there, that's why no one's probably ever heard of it from around here." She stole a angry glance towards her mother-in-law, who was all smiles.

"Wait," Marron took the tiny fruit into her hands, "The Ox King's country?" She looked at the fruit with a disgusted face, "_HOW LONG HAS THIS BEEN HERE?" _She yelled with a grossed out look.

Chi Chi raised her hands defensively. "Nothing to worry about! Those fruit can stay ripe forever if you take care of them. I've been saving them for a long time," She added, with a small grin.

"Anyway," Videl interrupted the reminiscent grandmother, "The fruits are considered sacred amongst the Ox King's peoples, and it is commonly refered to the forever-binding fruit, because it can stay ripe so long." Videl had to stop to allow Chi Chi's giggles to supress.

"Dad talked about the forever-binding fruit once," Goten blurted out from amid the silence, "He said mom and him ate it when they first visited the Ox Kingdom."

"That was such a long time ago," Chi Chi smiled, obviously remembering an old memory of long ago. "It seems like yesterday...," Her voice trailed off.

"I still don't understand I this is such a big deal," Krillin spoke up. "It's just a fruit, isn't it?"

"Well," Videl's voice suddenly went up a note, "Yes and no."

"What do you mean, '_yes and no'_?" 18 said sharply. "What has my daughter eaten?"

"She's ate a Wollawong," Gohan said matter-of-factly.

"So?" Pan asked, her eyes eager for an answer. "What's gonna happen? Is she gonna turn into a frog or something?" Pan turned eagerly to Goten and looked him over with a quick glance. "You'd look funny as a frog, Uncle Goten!" She giggled.

Goten's face became stern, "I am not going to become a frog!" His face suddenly tensed and he turned to Gohan, "Am I?"

"No," Videl sighed, running a hand through her hair, "But it may be worse than that, depending on how you look at it."

"What do you mean?" Marron sat up on the couch and looked at Videl. Videl offered a small, calming smile.

"You and Goten have each at the end off of a Wollawong fruit," She explained. "By doing so you've started an ancient ritual of the Ox King's people that has been performed for over a thousand years."

"Which is?" Goten asked.

Gohan cleared his throat, "You and Marron are now officially bethrothed."

_Well? How ABOUT THAT? LOL Don't worry, Chapter Seven will be here before you know it! Sorry if this chapter was lame, but the next one will be better! I promise! Bra and Vegeta get into it, so do Trunks and Bulma, and the Wollawong Ritual begins! Hmmmm... _

_Catch ya on the flip side! Thanks a BAZILLION for the reviews!_

_Romania Black_


	7. Word Gets Out

The Taming of the Saiyan

By Romania Black

_Well, time for Chapter Seven! LOL Sorry for the long update, but Prom was last weekend, Senior Trip, banquets galore, and last minute finals, LOL, and of course, as you can imagine, I was pretty busy with that, but anywhoo, here's Chapter Seven! LOL Please Read and feel free to review! LOL You guys are the best!_

_Still Rated T for Teen, due to mild sexual themes, some violence, and brief language...ya know that already!_

_Note: I'm not sure, but did Roshi ever die before the end of GT? If he didn't sorry, but I'm taking the liberty and saying he did die after the end of GT. Sorry bout that, you Roshi fans...I'm one of them too..._

_Disclaimer: I own nothing of Akira Toriyama! sobs_

_Reviews:_

_Princess Star Neko: Hey welcome welcome! Glad your liking the story! Yes, Chi Chi is a sneaky little... LOL Well, you'll find out in this chapter about the betrothal and what happens should you reject it! LOL hope you enjoy it!_

_Goku's dad: Thanks! I'm glad you think so! Hope you like the story! _

_Killahcam: I'll try to update as soon as possible! Thanks!_

_Snoro: Thankies! It's good to hear nice things from people! LOL_

_Sinful Sakura: I thought it was kind of creepy but nifty too! Thanks for reading! LOL_

_Cheyaangel: Thanks a million! All of you guys are AWESOME!_

_Hope you enjoy!_

_Romania black_

Chapter Seven: Word Gets Out

For a second, everyone in the room seemed at a loss for words. Goten exchanged a strange look with Marron, who was sure she hadn't heard right.

"Wait," Marron sat up, "What did you say?"

Gohan gave her a small smile, "You and Goten are now officially betrothed. Engaged, that is."

"I know what it means," Marron snapped, "How? How can we be engaged? Goten never proposed to me!" She shot Goten a look, to which Goten raised his arms up in a _I-don't-know-what's-going-on-either _pose.

Videl ran a hand through her hair impatiently, "By each of you eating the end off of a Wollawong fruit, you technically have proposed. It's part of the ancient ritual they preform. The man eats one end first, followed by his to-be bride, and then they're engaged."

Krillin and 18 exchanged startled glances. "But surely," the Android spoke up, "This is just some sort of voo doo thing. It's not real or anything, right?" Her voice displayed a tone of disbelief.

"I wish it was," Videl sighed. "Actually, the forever-binding fruit enables the two it binds to be with anyone else but their chosen mate." Gohan nodded his head as Videl finished.

"Chi Chi had me and Videl eat a Wollawong before we were married," The demi-Saiyan spoke up, "Me and Videl got into a fight shortly after, and we split up. But it only lasted a week, and we were back together."

"Why only a week?" Pan blurted out.

"Everytime I tried to go on a date with another girl, disaster happened," Gohan said with a winced look on his face, as if recalling a horrible memory. "The dates would go horribly wrong, and then none of the girls would even want to be around me, except Videl of course," He smiled to his wife, whose face bore a similarly pensive look.

"It was the same for me, as well," Videl smiled reminiscintly, then turned to Goten and Marron. "The fruit is cursed. That's why I said it could be good or bad, depending on how you look at it. It's good if the two of you are in love and want to remain so, because then no matter what you go through, you're stuck together, and no one can break you apart. However, if it was two people that hated each other, the fruit would force them to be with one another no matter what, and prohibit them from being with anyone else relationshipwise forever more."

There was an awkward silence in the room again.

"So you mean," Goten's face suddenly lit up, "that now I have to get married to Marron?"

"Well, you don't have to get married immediately," Videl smiled softly, "but eventually, you will have to. You're both binded together now, whether you like it or not." Gohan nodded his head in unison.

Marron's face jerked toward Goten, who didn't seem at all displeased by this. In fact, he seemed rather happy with this bit of news.

Krillin exhaled very loudly and threw his hands behind his head, "Well, I wasn't expecting to put on a wedding this soon," He said.

"Who said anything about a wedding?" 18 gave a sharp look to her husband. "Videl said that they didn't have to get married yet. Just eventually, and that means that they should be in no rush whatsoever." The Android turned to Videl, "Don't you agree?"

Videl shrugged, "I don't imagine they would want to get married this early anyway."

"This is crazy!" Marron exclaimed, rising to her feet. "I can't get married to him!" She pointed to Goten on the couch.

Goten gazed up at her with a crushed look on his face. Marron suddenly went red in the face.

"Why not?" Goten said with a frown. "We're friends aren't we? Haven't we been for some time now?" A stern look cast over his face.

Marron's blushing didn't leave her face yet. "Goten, I'm sorry. We are good friends. But I didn't have marriage on the brain as of now."

"Neither did I," Goten shot back, "But that doesn't mean I won't have soon. You heard Videl, eventually we'll have to be married. What's the use in waiting?"

"Goten, I hardly even know you!" Marron said exasperately. "I don't know what you like to do, your hobbies, your dislikes, and so on. And I doubt you know mine!" She placed her hands on her hips and gave him a sharp glance.

Goten shook his head, but his eyes burned with a sudden passion, "No, I don't know. But that doesn't mean I won't learn."

Marron turned away from him and sat back down, but she could not shake the burning light that was in his eyes at that moment from her mind.

Chi Chi managed to speak up from the silence, "Well, there is a way you could learn to know each other."

"Which is?" Marron asked with a sigh.

"When Goku and I married, we didn't exactly know one another either," Chi Chi said with a smile, sitting down with them. "So we arranged a week for us to get to know each other, alone." She explained, her voice soft. "It did the trick, I think."

"A week alone?" Marron shifted her eyes to Goten, who gave Marron the same look.

"Are you serious?" 18's eyes flashed to Chi Chi.

"Of course I am," Chi Chi met the Android's gaze. "Your daughter just said that she didn't know a whole lot about my son, so a week together would greatly help them in my opinion. It did for me and Goku." Her eyes became narrow slits as she glared back at 18.

"Where on earth would they go to be alone?" Krillin asked with wonder, hands still behind his head.

"I know someone that owns a place that would be perfect," Gohan replied slowly from the back of the room, "But getting her permission might be a problem." All eyes turned to Gohan. Videl, who obviously knew what he was thinking, nodded in agreement.

"Who are you thinking of, Gohan?" Chi Chi craned her head to her oldest son, who simply smiled.

The Vegeta-Briefs house was unusually silent that day. Trunks sat in the kitchen, trying his hardest to look busy reading a newspaper. Bulma was stirring up some cookie-dough batter by the oven, as Vegeta waited impatiently beside her. Bra was sitting in the chair across from Trunks, a small bag of ice on her forehead, which bore a still purple lump from her recent confrontation with Marron. None of the family looked particularly thrilled. In fact, there was a sense of a recent arguement that was vaguely still hanging in the air.

"Hurry up, woman, I'm hungry!" Vegeta snorted impatiently.

Bulma stirred her bowl faster, "Will you hush up? I told you already that the mixer's broken and if you'd actually take it in and repair it I could make cookies alot faster--"

"Don't we have a son or something that knows how to fix it?" Vegeta snapped, his eyes shifting to his son, "Or is he too busy to fix it?"

Trunks' gaze never left the paper. "Dad, I told you already that I need to get this done--"

"Trunks is busy, honey! So just get over it and hold on!" Bulma was now yelling.

"Will all of you shut up?" Bra yelled back, rubbing her head with the ice pack.

"I don't want to hear you say anything!" Vegeta snapped loudly, then muttering under his breath, "Losing to an earthling...how insulting..."

"Daddy!" Bra erupted whiningly, lowering the ice pack, so now her bruised face was even more noticable, "I told you already, she ganged up on me first! I didn't stand a chance!"

Trunks lowered the newspaper just enough to give Bra a _you're-lying-and-its-not-working _look. Bra stuck out her tongue at him, who raised the newspaper again.

"I can't believe you got into a fight in public! That's so unproper!" Bulma snapped, adding in her two bits as Bra disappeared beneath the ice bag again, her face red. "My daughter too! I thought I raised you better than that!"

_**RINGGGGGG!**_

_**RINGGGGGG!**_

_Saved by the phone, _Bra thought miserably as Bulma picked up the line.

"Hello?" She said casually, ignoring Vegeta's angry look, "Oh, Videl, hi! What's going on?" There was a pause, as Vegeta made his way to the table and sat next to Trunks.

"What?" Bulma sat the bowl down on the table and looked at the phone oddly, listening on.

"Stupid women," Vegeta breathed, "Just when they're about to get something accomplished, they get tied up in gossip and petty talk!"

"That's just mom," Trunks muttered.

"Sometimes I wonder why I put up with her," Vegeta growled.

"Well, you're the one that married her," Trunks retorted. Vegeta gave Trunks an evil stare, then sighed impatiently and grabbed a section of the paper and started reading it. Bra looked towards her mother, who hadn't said anything for quite some time, a strange confused look on her face.

"What is it, mom?" Bra asked, but her mother waved out a hand that signaled Bra to be quiet.

"The old Roshi house?" Bulma finally broke the silence, her voice loud. "Is there no other place you can think of?"

Trunks and Vegeta turned their heads to look at Bulma, who looked suddenly angry.

"No, I don't find it funny!" She cried out, causing the three at the table to flinch in surprise, "Ha ha, very funny, Gohan!" Bulma yelled out sarcastically. Vegeta was on his feet.

"Well of course I understand the situation, or at least I think I do," Bulma said to the phone as Vegeta grabbed the cookie batter bowl. "No, I don't think it's been cleaned out! That's why I don't want to loan it out, it's a mess!" Vegeta was pushing the cookie bowl into Bulma's hands, very similarly to a child doing the same action. Bulma turned away, "You _know _how Roshi was! A total pig! What?" She held the phone closer to her ear.

"I think mom's going deaf," Trunks said with a small smile.

"Why would Gohan and Videl want Roshi's house?" Bra asked her brother, who merely shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know."

"Well, if you want to clean it I guess," Bulma started, as Vegeta pressed the batter bowl closer to Bulma.

"Woman, get back to stirring this bowl--"

"_VEGETA STOP FOR A SECOND AND STIR IT YOURSELF_!" Bulma screeched at her husband. Vegeta stared at her for a second with a shocked look on her face, but then gave a loud snort of frustration and started stirring the batter bowl, his body turned from everyone else in the room, obviously embarrassed. Bra could see Trunks smile from the top of the paper he was reading.

"What?" Bulma turned back to the phone after giving Vegeta a threatening look, "No, it was just Vegeta. Sorry," She said apologetically, "I guess you can. Sure. Just be sure to clean it out and don't trash it okay?" She placed her hands on her hips and smiled. "Well tell those two I'm happy for them. Oh? Well, then don't tell them," She said with a laugh. "I'll catch up with you later, okay? Bye Videl!"

CLICK. The phone was off.

"Well," Bulma sighed and grabbed the cookie batter bowl from a very angry looking Vegeta and started stirring it again, "That was interesting." The tone in her voice indicated to the rest of the Briefs that this was definately gossip material.

"What is it, mom?" Bra said anxiously as Vegeta sat beside Trunks, an ill look upon his face. Trunks merely smiled at his father, clearly amused by the situation.

"What did Kakarott's brat want?" Vegeta finally spoke up, his voice harsh.

"Gohan and Videl wanted to know if I'd lend them Roshi's old house for a week," Bulma sighed. "That silly old man gave it to me when he died, and I haven't had any use for it up until now. I'm sure the place is a complete mess."

"Why did Roshi give it to you?" Trunks said, tilting his head sideways curiously.

Bulma gave a short huff and her face turned beat red. "I don't know!" She snapped, "That old man was insane! How should I know!"

"Sounds to me like it was a bad experience," Vegeta said in his most serious tone, but Bulma knew he was smiling on the inside.

"Roshi was a crazy old loon, make no mistake of that," Bulma said with a slight shudder. "I guess he just had no one else to give it to, so he gave it to me."

"That, or he thought you deserved it after all your hard work you've done," Vegeta said with an enormous cocky smile on his face.

Bulma's face turned the crimsonest of red, and for a moment she didn't say anything.

"So why do they want it?" Bra asked, almost out of her seat.

"Well," Bulma gave a nervous glance to Bra and then back to her batter bowl. "It appears that Goten wants it for the week."

Bra sat up immediately in her seat, her eyes wide and gleaming, "Really? No kidding?" The ice pack slid from her forehead to her nose. "What's he want it for?"

Bulma frowned, "It's for him and another to use for the week. Videl and Gohan are cleaning it up for him."

Now Bra was almost out of her seat. "Really? Oh wow! Goten and me are going to have old Master Roshi's house for a whole week?"

Vegeta suddenly went tense. "WHAT?"

Trunks slowly lowered the paper, "Hold on. What makes you think that?" He raised an eyebrow in concern.

"Goten's going to ask me out again isn't he?" Bra asked anxiously, turning to her mother. "That's why he's got the house, right?"

Bulma was silent for a moment, her face full of sadness, and a look that clearly stated that she didn't want to say the answer to that question.

Trunks looked at his mother and by the look on her face, he could tell that wasn't the case. _This is going to be bad, _Trunks thought to himself.

"You are not going to fraternize with that brat! Not now, not ever!" Vegeta growled.

"Daddy, if Goten wants me back as his girlfriend, then what can I do except accept his offer?" Bra snapped back at her father.

"No child of mine is dating Kakarott's kid, and that's final!" Vegeta's nostrils glared, and his eyes bore into his daughter's, who seemed hardly affected by it.

"Bra," Bulma softly laid the batter bowl down. "Goten isn't renting the house out for him and you."

The ice pack dropped onto the table with an audible CLUNK! Bra stared at her mother with a furious look. "What did you say?"

"Goten is sharing the house for a weekend with another person," Bulma repeated slowly, her eyes looking down at the batter bowl.

Trunks let out a soft sigh. _Here it comes. _

"What?" Bra repeated in disbelief, her voice cracking slightly.

"She said that Kakarott's brat is only opening his home to one other person for a week and you're not it!" Vegeta yelled out, annoyed.

"But--but," Bra stammered, "Why wouldn't he want the house for me and him?" Suddenly her face became sharp and enraged. "Whose the girl he's staying with mom?"

Bulma looked away, "Videl didn't say."

Bra stood on her feet now. "Don't lie, mom, I know she did. Who is it?" Her eyes were on fire. Trunks slid the newspaper over his face, while Vegeta looked to his wife with a curious expression.

"Yes, tell us all who it is!" The Saiyan scowled.

"Well, it's a long story," Bulma sighed, a hand on her hips, the other on the batter bowl.

"Good lord, woman, we waited long enough while you were on the phone, we can wait now! Just tell us!" Vegeta yelled.

Bulma glared at her husband, then sighed and placed a hand on her forehead. "Okay, I'm only going to say this once, alright?"

"We're listening," Bra said quickly.

"Alright," Bulma started. "Chi Chi got Goten and Marron to eat this fruit called a Wollawing, uh, Wolladong, er, something! Anyway, they ate it and now its bound them together in some voo doo ritual...I don't know. Something to that extent," Bulma paused and thought for a moment.

"Go on," Trunks urged her.

"Well, by eating the fruit, its kind of like an engagement. Goten and Marron will eventually have to get married, and Goten didn't want to wait very long, so he set this week at the Roshi house up to get him and Marron aquainted before they married each other. Kind of like a backwards honey-moon. But that's all I know," Bulma finished and laid the batter bowl down.

Vegeta's face was unreadable. Trunks looked more stunned than anything, his mouth gaped open in surprise. Bra stood there shaking slightly, looking at the floor, her face as unreadable as her father's.

Bulma offered a dry smile, "It seems like a complicated thing, really."

"I can't believe it!" Trunks said shocked, "Goten getting married? That's always been the last thing on his mind!"

There was a droplet of water that hit the floor. It came from Bra's face. No one seemed to notice it at the moment.

"Hmph," Vegeta shrugged. "Sounds to me like he didn't have much choice in the matter. That Chi Chi woman always seemed like a nut to me, anyway."

"Vegeta!" Bulma stared.

"Well, its obvious that grand-child obsessed woman set the whole thing up so Kakarott's brat would spawn her another grand baby. Makes me wonder if that's not how her and Kakarott managed to get together in the first place, by some stupid voo doo fruit of hers."

Bulma looked pensive, "I don't think so, dear. I've never heard of Goku talk about it. Hmmm,"

"I still can't believe my best friend's getting married before me," Trunks said with a smile.

"Well, he wouldn't if you'd find someone decent!" Bulma yelled at her son.

"Oh don't start with this!" Trunks exclaimed, as Bra let out a soft whimper. No one noticed this either.

"Oh, I will, son!" Bulma grabbed the paper from him. "One of these days you'd better find yourself a girl, or else!"

"Or else what?" Trunks raised an eyebrow.

"Or else she'll feed you one of those fruits," Vegeta added. Trunks and Bulma laughed at this, but Bra let out a small sob and turned away from them, running out of the kitchen.

"Bra!" Bulma called out, but her yell was only met by a slamming of the door and the start of a vehicle. "Hey, she's taking the car!"

"Let her go," Vegeta scowled. "She'll get over it. I'm just glad Kakarott's brat found himself with someone else."

"Honey, he has a name. It's Goten," Bulma smiled impatiently.

Vegeta stared at her for a moment with a glare, as if the name was pure poison to hear it.

"You know those cookies aren't going to make themselves," He growled. Bulma took this as a que that the conversation was dead and went back to stirring the batter bowl, while her husband watched her.

Trunks stood up and started out of the kitchen, the newspaper in hand, deciding to leave his parents to their cookie making.

_So what did you think? SOOOOO Sorry it took so long to get this updated, but I've been so busy lately! I promise the next update will come sooner! Thanks SOOOO Much for your support guys! You make me want to add on to this story! You're all so great! Well, tune in next chapter, where preparations are made for the week retreat!_

_Peace out and ROCK ROCK ON!_

_Romania Black_


	8. The Departure

The Taming of the Saiyan

By Romania Black

_Hey all! Time for Chapter Eight! _

_Sorry it's taken so long, guys. Graduation was last week, and the end of school, and all that jazz! Finally a new chapter! Well, you guys are sheer AWESOME! I could not ask for better reviews or reviewers! All I can say is thank you so much for the support you've gave me! It is SOOOO appreciated!_

_Reviews:_

_Cheyaangel: Thankies! Yes, sometimes I prefer my own characters and the main ones hooking up, but I'm glad you support the couples I've placed together so far! Gracias!_

_Sinful Sakura: LOL LOL LOL Oh my gosh, you had me rolling on the floor laughing at your review! LOL Yes, the whole Chibi Vegeta thing was what I was going for! Glad you caught onto it! LOL It's so much fun writing the Brief's family's dialogue, cuz Vegeta's so fun to work with! still laughing_

_Killahcam: Thanks again! As long as you keep reviewing, I'll keep writing too! LOL Muchos Gracias, amigo!_

_WELL, that's all for now! Of course we're still rated T for Teen due to alcohol references, sexual themes, and some brief language..._

_Disclaimer: I own nothing of Akira Toriyama! Sobs_

_Romania Black_

Chapter Eight: The Departure

Cheeks rosy from the wind, Marron stood on the porch of her house, staring out into the endless sea that stretched before her. She thought she could see Roshi's house from here, but she wasn't sure if it was it or not. Brushing a strand of blonde hair to the side, she stretched her arms above her head and tried to ponder on the recent events that had just transpired. Her mind was a blank. Nothing seemed to make much sense at the moment.

"Marron, these clothes aren't going to pack themselves," 18 called from inside the house. Marron merely stared out into the empty ocean. The waves washed themselves up against the shore.

"Marron?" Krillin appeared beside her. "What's wrong?" Marron shook her head to show nothing was, but Krillin gave her a skeptic look.

"Don't do that, Marron. Something's wrong. What is it?" Krillin urged. Marron remained silent. "Don't worry," Krillin said soothingly, placing a hand on her shoulder. "In my opinion, there's no one else in the world I'd rather see you with than Goten," Krillin said with a reassuring smile.

Marron turned to her father with disbelief in her pale blue eyes. "How can you be sure? What if it wasn't meant to be? What if it doesn't work out?"

Krillin raised an eyebrow. "You don't think it will work out? It is Goten, after all."

Marron turned back to the sea, her face blushing. "I don't know what to think anymore."

"Trust in yourself," Krillin said elbowing her softly in the ribs, "and you'll figure it out. It's not like Goten's a monster or anything. I think you're pretty safe with him for a week at least, eh?" He tossed his daughter a sideways glance.

Marron smiled weakly and nodded her head. "I guess you're right."

"That's what I'm best at," Krillin gave a goofy smile and made his way back into the house. "You'd better start packing," He called from inside.

"I will in a minute," Marron called out towards the house. She wanted to stay outside a little bit longer, to soak in the gorgeous sunlight that was soaring into the morning sky, before making her way into the house to start packing her clothes.

"Goten, are you seriously going to pack _just _that?" Chi Chi's annoyed voice rang through the Son House. Goten's suitcase was wide open on his bed, the contents of it being two pairs of shorts and a shirt bearing the logo _GOTEN SON _on it. Chi Chi scowled at her son, who was sitting on the bed beside his suitcase.

"What?" Goten asked innocently. "What else do I need?"

"What else?" His mother asked in disbelief. "You only have one shirt!"

"Do I need more?" Goten yawned.

"_YOU'RE GOING TO BE THERE A WHOLE WEEK_!" Chi Chi fumed.

"And?" Goten smiled sheepishly. "Didn't Master Roshi have a washing machine?"

"_PACK SOME MORE CLOTHES_!" Chi Chi screeched. "_YOU FINALLY HAVE A CHANCE TO IMPRESS A GIRL AND MARRY HER, AND YOU'RE TOO LAZY TO PACK ANOTHER SHIRT, GOTEN!" _

Chi Chi's screaming echoed into the living room where Videl and Pan sat, drinking some hot tea.

"Geez," Pan sighed nervously, "I've never seen Grandma so upset."

"She's not upset," Videl smiled, sipping her tea. "She's just anxious. She doesn't want Marron to dislike Goten."

"But they _have _to marry don't they? Since they ate the fruit?" Pan said with her head tilted in confusion.

"Well, if they don't marry each other, they can never be in a safe and stable relationship with someone else, yes," Videl explained, "but Chi Chi worries that Marron will prefer that relationship alone if she doesn't fall in love with her son. The fruit binds you with the one who partaked in the fruit with you, but it doesn't make them fall in love with you. It's not a love potion."

"Oh," Pan said slowly, her face crumbling slightly. "I thought it made two people fall in love."

"No," Videl smiled. "It doesn't work that way."

"That's a bummer," Pan sighed, taking a drink of her tea. "So then you and dad fell in love without the help of a fruit?"

"That's right," Videl said. "We were genuinely in love." Her face blushed slightly, and she looked reminiscent.

Pan made a gagging face, "Ew! That's gross, mom."

Videl sighed, "One day, Pan, you won't think it's gross at all."

Pan sat up and looked at her mom, but didn't reply. The look on her face was doubtful, but there was a glimmer in her eye that suggested that she may have already gotten past the _love-is-gross_ phase. Videl wasn't sure of what the look meant though. Pan left the living room towards the kitchen, leaving Videl alone in the room to hear Chi Chi's wailing of protest.

The red convertible screeched to a halt beside a local bar. After placing a few coins in the parking meter, a lone figure walks into the building and takes a seat at an empty table by the countertop bar. _The mall would have been too conspicuous_, Bra had decided on her way to the saloon-like set up. _There would have been someone there I'd know, and then I'd have to hear all about whats-her-flip and her roundevous with my man! _Bra slammed her fists on the table, drawing the attention of the few regulars that were there. The bar was fairly empty, but after all, it was still morning.

"What do you want?" A burly man from behind the bar shouted to her.

Bra rubbed her eyes. She didn't know why she was sleepy, she'd been awake for some time now. Driving always made her sleepy, though.

"Just a Vodka Tonic," Bra replied grumpily. The burly man's red mustache twitched a little, then he disappeared under the countertop.

Bra placed her face in her hands, and exhaled heavily. She couldn't believe this was happening. Suddenly, a warm hand placed itself on her shoulder. Bra nearly jumped out of her skin, as she turned quickly to see who it was that touched her. Surprised and definately confused, she saw that it was Uub.

"What are you doing here?" Bra snapped. Uub gazed at her with his dark eyes, and then smiled cunningly.

"I always grab a drink here before I hit the gym," Uub said, running a hand through his jet black hair which was in a mohawk style.

Bra sighed, "You work out all day?" _Judging by his large muscles, the answer had to be 'yes'. _

"Pretty much," Uub managed to say as he took a seat beside her. "I was actually about to be on my way there when I saw you."

Bra rolled her eyes annoyingly as the burly bartender laid the Tonic beside her. "Thanks," She muttered out of the corner of her mouth.

Uub gave her a strange look. "What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing you'd understand," Bra growled as she sipped her tonic. She usually never really talked to Uub, there was no reason to; not with Goten as her boyfriend.

"Oh," Uub said doubtfully. "Are you sure? Maybe I could help." He said, resting his head on his arm, looking at her with a determined glance.

Bra gave a short soft laugh, "Yeah, you help me. That's funny," She said through a sip of the tonic. "How could you help me?"

"I don't know," he replied a little sheepishly, obviously not ready to answer the question. He quickly focused on something besides her face, particularly her half empty glass of Vodka Tonic. He glanced at it with mingled amusement and curiousity. A smile broke onto his strong features,

"Goten let you drink that?" He asked with a half smile. Bra gave him a look that was equal to the slicing of the Grim Reaper's Scythe. Uub's smile deflated immediately. "Oh," he muttered, realizing he'd touched a bad subject. "I'm sorry," He apologized quickly.

Bra was going to snap at him, but taking another sip of her drink, decided she was too tired and frustrated to even start. "No," she said heavily. "You're fine. It's," the word was stuck in her throat. "nothing. Really."

"Are you sure?" Uub asked her with disbelief in his voice. "If you need me to help you with anything--"

"_NO_," Bra snapped. Now she was annoyed with him. "I don't need any help. I am fully capable of taking care of myself. I don't need any help!"

Uub smiled softly, as if he understood her frustration. "Well, if you don't need any help, would you care to come with me?"

"What?" Bra cocked her head in confusion.

"I'm going to the gym to work out. Would you care to join me?" Uub smiled and took the empty Vodka Tonic glass from her hand and set it on the table.

"Wait," Bra gave a snort of disbelief. "Is this a date? Are you asking me on a date?" She smiled sarcastically.

Uub's face reddened a touch, "No, no. I just wanted to know if you wanted to come to the gym with me. To," He paused, "take your mind off things." He placed a hand around the back of his head, as if to attempt to look casual.

Bra sighed and then stared at the empty glass. "No, I think I'm going to stay here a while."

Uub's face seemed to wilt a bit. "Oh, okay." He replied, a little weakly. "Well then, I guess I'll see you later." Then he turned away from her.

For a moment a thought swirled in Bra's mind to go get another drink. Then she realized that getting drunk was only going to temporarily solve this situation, and as much as she hated to admit it, Goten was gone. He no longer had any care for her, and _she _wasn't about to go running back and begging for him. Bra was not that kind of girl. She glanced towards Uub walking away. _Father wouldn't approve of this_, Bra thought mildly, _but then again, father would approve of me being at a gym with Uub more than being anywhere with Goten. _Bra stood up and power walked towards Uub, who was almost at the door.

"Hey," She called out to him, as she tossed the bartender walking past her some money from her pocket. "For the drink," She told the burly man as she walked past. Uub had stopped at the door and looked at her curiously.

"What?" He asked.

"About that offer to go to the gym," Bra said serenely. "Still offering?"

Uub's face lit up with surprise, "Yeah, it is," He said smoothly. "Think you can handle it?"

Bra placed her hands on her hips. "You think I can't?" She said slyly. "Let me get in my car and I'll follow you there, okay?"

"Sure, whatever you want," Uub laughed and held the door open for her, and Bra's thoughts of Goten suddenly didn't seem so important.

"Okay, that's fourteen shirts, ten pairs of shorts," Chi Chi muttered aloud while counting the contents of Goten's five suitcases, "All your undies are in here too, Goten." Chi Chi said, beaming triumphantly at her son.

Goten's face turned bright red. "Mom! You don't need to recap all that's in my bags! I saw you put it in there!"

"Oh be quiet, Goten," Chi Chi snapped softly. "Then there's some extra socks for you and another pair of shoes okay?"

Goten cringed, seeing no way out of hearing this. "Yep, okay." He said stiffly.

Chi Chi rummaged through one of the suitcases, "Oh, and I packed you soap and shampoo and some deodorant!"

"Oh, thank Kami, mom," Goten said sarcastically. "I wouldn't want to be without that!"

"Just be glad that's all she's checking for," Gohan said with a frown as he stepped into the room.

"Why? What'd she check you for?" Goten asked with a small grin on his face.

Chi Chi never looked up from the suitcase, "Something he didn't have to begin with, and never bought afterwards."

Goten fell back onto his bed laughing, but Gohan remained standing with a stern look cast upon his features.

"Mom," Gohan said with a threatening tone.

"What?" Chi Chi said with a shrug. "Even Videl knew more about them than you."

Goten couldn't stop laughing, tears welling up in his dark eyes. Gohan gave a low growl and exited the room in a most un-Gohan-like huff. Goten finally managed to quit his fit of laughter and gave his mother a curious look, as if staring at her for the first time.

"Why haven't you packed those?" Goten finally managed to ask, his voice a mix of curiousity and amusement.

Chi Chi never looked him in the eye, but remained with her focus on checking the luggage. "I know I won't have to worry about that with you," She finally replied grimly, and shut the lid of the suitcase perhaps a bit too loud for usual. Goten tilted his head sideways and looked oddly at her, but before he could reply, his mother left the room. Feeling a little uneasy, and slightly concerned with what she'd just said, Goten laid back against the pillow and his mind wandered to another place where he could ponder the meaning of what she'd said.

Marron shut the lid of the suitcase and snapped the buttons locking it in place. 18 appeared from behind her holding another bag and a pink sun hat. 18 placed the hat on her daughter's head and smiled, "Remember that?"

Marron whipped the hat off her head and stared at it with awe, "My old pink hat!" She cried with a smile on her face, "Where did you find this?"

"Your father found it in a box of your old stuff," The Android smiled softly, "I suppose I accidently packed it up."

"I've been through that box years ago," Marron smiled as she put the hat back on her head, so that her bun was now unnoticable. "But I don't ever remember stumbling across it!"

"Well," her mother said gently, handing her the bag in her hands, "Sometimes we overlook the smaller things in life, but remember that though you can't see them, they are still there." With that, 18 gave her daughter a firm, brief but firm, hug. Marron was surprised; her mother usually was never this sentimental.

"Mom," Marron said softly as her mother let her go. "This doesn't change anything, me and Go--"

"No it doesn't," The Android interrupted softly, almost whispering, "But just remember this, Marron. Not all things are as they seem, and you may overlook something once or twice, but eventually, you will see it." With that, the Android embraced her daughter once more and walked towards the house to, at least what Marron thought, get her husband.

Marron watched her go, her words soaking into her being. She didn't understand them fully at the moment, but the soft rythm of her voice was still ringing in her ears. Soon the rythmic tune faded and was replaced by the loud screeching of tires coming up the road. A quick glance to the right showed it was Goten, in Chi Chi's bright red automobile. Exhaling loudly, as if to prepare oneself, Marron gathered her bags and walked to the edge of the porch. Behind her was the sea, and her parents who were now watching her go by the doorway.

"Ready?" Goten said slightly nervously. Marron grinned softly.

"I suppose so. You?" She tilted her head sideways.

Goten's face let out a small nervous smile, "I guess. Hop in," He motioned for her to climb into the passenger seat. Marron turned around to her parents. Krillin had a look on her face that said _go on, what are you waiting for? _The Android's face simply said _Don't worry about us. _

"Go on!" Krillin burst out, beaming. "Have fun you guys!"

"Don't do anything stupid, you two," 18 finally stated, a small grin playing on her face.

"Little late for that, huh?" Goten shouted over the engine of the car. Once Marron was situated, he took off.

Marron waved to her parents as they waved back, both of them growing smaller in the distance, but still waving. When they'd finally disappeared, Marron turned around in her seat and looked ahead. Goten was turning onto the highway that led out towards the sea. _And now, _she finally thought as they drove alongside the shining blue ocean, _Now it begins._

_Well, what'd ya think? Hmmm? Next Chapter on its way! Summer's a busy time for me, so expect more prolonged updates, I'm SOOOOOO Sorry though! You guys are awesome! Thanks so much for the reviews so far! _

_Romania Black_


	9. Day One, On the Road

The Taming of the Saiyan

By Romania Black

_Well, it's finally time for Chapter Nine. This chapter's in Marron's Point of View (POV). I thought it'd be nice to start it off telling the story of their trip their, since usually a character gets in the car and goes and then two seconds later, they're magically at their destination! LOL So here's Chapter Nine!_

_Disclaimer: I own nothing of Akira Toriyama! Sobs_

_Of course we're still rated T for Teen due to alcohol references, sexual themes, and some brief language...you know!_

_Reviews:_

_Sinful Sakura: Thanks again for the review! Gohan's such a nerd in GT, he's fun to poke fun at. Shame it's the same dude that destroyed Cell..._

_Killahcam: Hey thanks! I can't wait to write about their weekend together...I've got some ideas that might be interesting!_

_Tony: Welcome to the fold! Like Killahcam's review, I've got some ideas that are going to be fun to work with! _

_Thanks a million you guys for the reviews! If you have any comments or suggestions for me, don't hesitate to review them to me! _

_You guys are the reason I do this!_

_Romania Black_

Chapter Nine: Day One, On the Road

_So we were off_. I had barely enough time to look back towards my parents shrinking in the distance, and already we were gone. Goten was at my side in the driver's seat, steering the vehicle effortlessly as we turned onto the asphalt highway heading alongside the open sea. It was probably the most beautiful morning we'd had in a while, the sky blue, the sun out and bright. Not one cloud in the entire sky. It was incredible. _Simply Incredible._

Goten must have been reading my thoughts. "Nice out, huh?" He said casually beside me. I jumped at his voice and turned to stare at him.

"Oh, uh," I stammered, "yeah, it is, isn't it?"

"Feels odd though, right?" Goten asked, his dark eyes settling on my face. "That not two days ago you were running into a bar looking for me, and then me taking you out to dinner and all. Does it seem like it was that short a while ago?" His face smiled in disbelief.

"It feels like ages ago," I thought out loud softly, not meaning to say the words, but they'd slipped out.

"I know!" Goten said, obviously happy someone agreed with him. "I can't believe it!"

There was an awkward silence between us, and for a moment all I could do was stare out at the empty ocean beside us.

Goten started laughing all of a sudden, and his face suddenly resembled that of Goku's.

"What's funny?" I asked him as he started to stop laughing.

"Nothing, nothing," He smiled, wiping his forehead with his fist. "It's just that," He paused and let out a short laugh, "You bitch-slapped Bra!" He started another peal of laughter. I simply stared at him, amazed at the humor he found in this.

"So?" I asked, "She had it coming, didn't she?"

"Of course she did! That's why it's funny!" Goten smiled at me, and suddenly I felt as I did in this very car the night after our dinner date. "No one's ever taken a shot at Bra, not even Vegeta! But you were on the ground beatin' her face in and everything--"

"Geez," I interrupted. The way he said it, it was as if I'd murdered her. "Did I hurt her that bad?"

"Ah, no," Goten reassured me, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Trust me, after all those years of putting up with her crap, she deserved every bit of it!" He sighed softly. "Who knows, maybe it'll make her come around and she won't be such a wench."

His hand on my shoulder was so awkward, but I couldn't will myself to move it. There was some sort of comfort in his grip on my shoulder, as if it was meant to be there.

"Okay?" Goten asked upon seeing the look on my face.

"Y--yeah," I stuttered. He gave me a warm smile and continued to look out on the road ahead.

We must have driven down that road for what seemed like forever, and it wasn't a different scenary every twist and turn. It was always the same picturesque view. The sea to our left, the forest to our right. The sea was an empty blue void that glimmered in the sunlight, as the green leaves swayed to the humming of the car's engine.

Goten and I had talked about the scenary, about what life at the Son house was, and what life at my house was like. We found that while our families were quite different, in many respects, they were similar.

"Your mom and dad spar before breakfast?" Goten laughed out loud as he asked this. I smiled. Many didn't believe it either.

"Oh yes," I replied, "although I'm pretty sure that dad would prefer he eat breakfast before he spar. Mom doesn't really give him the choice."

"That's crazy," Goten said with a smile, shaking his head.

"Really? What about Chi Chi? Is she not crazy in her own right?"

"Well," Goten scratched his head with a hesitant smile, "Mom's not that bad. She just has her moments," Goten smiled at me.

"Her moments?" I replied sarcastically. The woman in my eyes was practically insane. How Goten lived with her, I did not know.

"Okay, so she has a lot of moments!" Goten laughed as we banked through a dark tunnel. The whites of his eyes gleamed even in the darkness, and suddenly they seemed sadder. "She's just gotten a little out of touch since dad passed on." The note of sorrow in that one sentence was shocking. I could tell Goten truly missed his father, the one he hadn't known most of his life.

"You really miss him, don't you?" I said somberly, as I laid my head on my elbow, propped against the back seat, gazing at his face.

"Of course I do," Goten replied a little softer than usual, as if almost to himself than to me. "Every day. I guess we all do," He looked to me as if for an answer to his statement.

I nodded my head, "I didn't know him to the fullest extent, but there does seem to be a void of silence whenever he's brought up in the conversation." I hadn't known Goku that much, but still I felt an attachment to him I could not explain.

"That's what most people say, too," Goten sighed and smiling slightly, "I didn't know my father the best. But no matter what he did, he did it with all his soul and passion, and that's something hardly any warrior or person for that matter is capable of." He smiled grimly, "He was the greatest person on this planet in my eyes."

"I think everyone thought that and still do," I said as we exited the dark tunnel, and the sun shone in our faces. Goten's features seemed to light up and grow happier in the sunlight, as if it was a reenergizing force.

"Enough of this sad talk and all," Goten turned up the radio, letting his other hand off my shoulder. There seemed to be a weight lifted off of me in the pit of my stomach as this happened, as if something was missing from me now that his hand was gone. "Let's listen to some tunes, shall we?"

"Sure," I said with a small smile, staring down the winding road ahead.

We drove on for who knows how long. The clock seemed to be at a dead halt the entire way, but the time flew by as we discussed what was on the radio and who was singing. Who we liked, hated, didn't care for, and didn't know of in the music world was our discussion the rest of the time on the road. We pretty much had different tastes in music, and while Goten begged I listen to one more heavy metal song, I finally convinced him to change it.

"Aw, come on," Goten pleaded with a child like expression on his face, "One more Metalhead song!"

"How many CD's of them do you have?" I asked in disbelief. _I could have swore the last hour of music was non-stop Metalhead!_

Goten smiled nervously, "Oh, only a few more."

"How many is that?" I asked, knowing good and well it was more than two.

"Uh, does that matter?" Goten smiled even more nervously, as a child would that didn't want to answer the question.

_I'll take that as a yes, _"Just tell me how many more songs from these guys do I have to listen to!"

"Eh, only fifteen more," Goten said, his voice turning casual. I popped the CD out of the disc player. "Hey!" He said, his voice a little more whiney than usual.

"Fifteen more?" I asked with disbelief.

"Okay, okay," Goten smiled and shrugged. "I guess we can take a break from it if you want."

"I'd like that," I said with a smile. The silence of the radio was pure bliss. "How long until we're there?"

"Shouldn't be that much longer," Goten said as we took another curve.

"So, it's Roshi's old house?" I asked him, confirming my thoughts.

"Yeah. Mom said it's probably going to be a bit nasty, though. So we'll have to clean it up. I'm not sure what it'll look like, I haven't been there in so long," A smaller note of sadness was in his voice, but he hid it well.

"I remember going to that house when I was little," I said softly, remembering all the times I had gone as a child. I remembered Roshi, the old hermit, in his Hawaiin style shirts and shorts, with that turtle shell and his glasses. "I always thought Roshi was odd," I said out loud.

Goten laughed at this, "So did I! He was always telling me stories about dad and what he was like as a child. I thought Roshi was odd, but cool." The sadness started to etch his strong features, making him seem weaker.

"I hadn't seen him in so long, before," I paused, and the words seemed to be stuck in my throat, "Before he was gone."

"I know," Goten's eyes seemed like black stones, "I was crushed when he left us. But then again, he was very old. I hadn't realized that at the time, though." His hands on the steering wheel seemed a little whiter than the rest of him.

I don't recall why I did it, but all this talk about death seemed to make Goten very upset, so out of instinct, I placed a comforting hand on _his _shoulder. I wasn't sure exactly why I did it, but it seemed like the right thing to do. Now all I had to do was muster up the courage to say something to him.

"It's all right," Was the words that escaped my lips. I couldn't think of anything else to say. I didn't know what _to _say to him.

For the first time, Goten gave me a appreciative smile, and it was as if my entire body was warmed by the very sight of it. In the bright sun, he looked like his father, and for the first true time I would not have been able to distinguish the two had they been standing next to one another.

"Thanks, Marron," Goten smiled, his eyes wandering from my hand on his shoulder to my face. His voice was sincere, and so un-Goten it almost seemed surreal. "Glad someone will tell me that," he added, and it could have been the glare of the sun, but I could have sworn there was anger mingled with his smile as he said that last line. But if it was, the anger was gone in an instant, and it left him smiling still.

Suddenly, as if by perfect timing, we saw the house. It was beautiful, the sun gleaming on it's white siding, the lettering saying KAME wrote out in perfect red lettering. The small island the house was stationed on was perfectly clean, as if the entire area was left untouched and had remained so ever since. My breath was caught in my throat, but Goten let out a sigh of relief.

"Finally! We're here!" He smiled jovially, and pulled the car over to the side of the road. Goten put in park and grabbed the keys out of the ignition. "Let's get out and check out the view from here!" But he was already out of the car.

I followed him to the edge of the road, where the asphalt met the shore. There was a gray railing between us and the sandy bank. "It's gorgeous from here," I muttered, almost unable to speak, it looked so beautiful.

"Yeah," Goten replied, almost as softly as me. He turned back towards the car and sighed. "Well, I guess it'll be alright here for a week."

"What?" I turned to look at the car. The car _was _out of the way. Suddenly realization hit me, "Goten, how are we going to get onto the island?"

Before I could answer, Goten grabbed my wrist and jumped up into the air. Let me say this now that I am horribly, _horribly _afraid of heights. Had I been given a two second warning, I probably could have prepared myself for this, but that wasn't the case. Goten had pulled me to him and was flying towards the island, the breeze running through our hair.

"_GOTEN_!" I screamed, mainly because of the shock of what he'd just done. "What are you _doing_?"

"Flying us to the island, duh," Goten smiled down at me with a matter-of-fact tone to his voice, "Why?"

I let out a squeal as I looked down and saw the ocean staring at us from below. It was a good hundred foot drop, and I wasn't about to make it. I clung tighter to Goten's shirt and forced my eyes shut, not able to say anything, or hardly even move.

"Oh, are you afraid of heights?" Goten asked, as if suddenly realizing why I was scared, a concerned tone to his voice.

"Mmmm-hmmm!" I managed to say, nodding my head. My feet were dangling beneath me, wildly in the wind. _I'm going to hurl!_

"Hold on," Goten said soothingly, "We're almost there."

No sooner than he said this, we were hitting the soft sand and I crumpled to my knees, bending over onto the warm beach.

"Land!" I shouted childishly, but I didn't care. _I was alive! I was alive!_

I looked up to see Goten with a very embarrassed face. "I'm, uh, sorry about that," He said raising a hand behind his head.

"That," I paused, a nauscious feeling escaping me, and then I was fine, "okay. I should have told you."

"I figured you knew we'd have to fly to the island," Goten said with a small smile.

"I forgot about it being on an island," I said, hugging the sand beneath me, still happy to be on the ground. "We used to take a capsule chopper to the island. We didn't fly."

"Oh," Goten said in understanding, walking towards me.

I sat up and looked around. We were pretty far from the car, which looked much smaller in the distance. The blue ocean sparkled around us, the waves gently rocking back and forth against the shore.

"Much nicer up close, eh?" Goten said peering down at me.

I nodded, "Much nicer."

After thanking the ground once more for a good save, I managed to stand up. The house was much more gorgeous up close.

"Shall we go in," I asked after Goten and I stared at it for a moment or two.

"I guess," Goten smiled as we started to walk towards it. "See what the damage is."

We were getting closer, "It doesn't look too bad on the outside," I said softly.

Goten nodded, "Looks pretty nice to me," he smiled.

_Maybe Bulma was exaggerating, _I thought as we approached the door.

The door creaked open, and several cobwebs fell in my face. I let out a small cry of surprise, as I saw Goten's mouth fly open.

The inside of the house looked as if no one had stepped foot in it again since the moment Roshi died. The floor was littered with magazines that I'm sure no one under the age of 18 were allowed to read, empty but dirty rice bowls scattered across the house, pots and pans dangling out of every cabinet, cobwebs gagging the corners, and an inch layer of dust completely consumed the inside of the house. Goten gaped at the interior as if horrified. I couldn't help but whimper as a spider started to retract up its string of sticky web and to its home on the ceiling fan.

"Uh," Goten said sheepishly, "On second thought..."

"It looked so pretty on the outside," I muttered low, not even trying to say it out loud. Goten nodded with a small gulp.

"So I guess we should get started then, huh?" He said, turning to me.

"Unless you have any better plans," I said, with a slightly cocky smile.

Nervously, Goten stumbled towards what appeared to be the kitchen, "I'll find a dust pan and some brooms."

"Good," I said, wiping my brow. It was so hot in here, obviously since the air'd been off for over a year. "Let's get started, then."

So how was it? Sorry if it was long, but I thought that Goten and Marron's getaway's got off to a nice start, eh? LOL

Well, Chapter Ten's on its way! I'm leaving for a week in Florida in a few days, so you may have to wait a bit for the next installment! Next Chapter, Marron and Goten have some fun cleaning and maybe a bit more than fun! wink wink and Bra's got a new man? Hmmmm...

Thanks a million for the Reviews! Keep sending them in!

Romania Black


	10. Day One, First Time For Everything

The Taming of the Saiyan

By Romania Black

_**Hey, time for Chapter Ten! Okay, we're back in Third person! LOL, I like telling a story from Marron's POV, but First person kills me to write! LOL so anywhoo, this was an extremely fun chapter to write and I hope you love it as much as I do! It's a little long, but soooo worth it to me! LOL I would have updated sooner, but I went to Florida last week, so I didn't get the chance to. Sorry for the wait! Hope this is worth it! **_

_**Disclaimer: Okay, I own nothing of Akira Toriyama, but if he DID want to use any of my ideas...well, uh, GO FOR IT! LOL**_

_**And of course, we're still rated T for Teen, for brief language, some violence (In this chapter), some sexual themes, and the consumation of alcohol...**_

_**Reviews:**_

**_Sinful Sakura: LOL! I know, I'd go find Bulma and make her clean it if it was me! LOL, well no worries, Goten and Marron are going to have "lots" of fun cleaning in this chapter! LOL_**

_**Romania Black**_

Chapter Ten: Day One, First Time For Everything

"_Heeeeeiiiiyaaaaaahhhhh!" _

The dark figure flashed through the air, landing a hard elbow into his opponent's side. The blue, monstrous looking foe, a yellow horn atop his bald head, let out a wail of pain and crumbled to his knees. The figure that had yelled out the battle cry now stood above him, looking every bit as fearsome and terrible as the second they had begun the fight. Raising a lone arm above the monster's head, his deep voice said softly,

"Are you wanting to continue?" A smile played on his lips as he said it.

"No--no," The monster said in a weak and small voice. The creature's enormous body looked wracked with pain.

"Very well," The boy said with a small sneer and slammed the monster's face against the already sweaty floor of the simulation room with his raised arm.

Suddenly the computer beside him let out a screeching noise. "SIMULATION LEVEL 6 COMPLETE. GRAVITATION LEVEL: 300 TIMES NORMAL GRAVITY. CONTINUE?" The screen blinked in front of Uub.

"No, computer," He said with a small frown. "Take a ten mintute shut-down, then we'll proceed."

"AS YOU WISH, MASTER UUB," The computer blinked silently.

Uub walked out of the simulation chamber, with a white towel draped across his sweaty dark shoulders. He'd left his shirt in the simulation arena. Not ten feet from the small circular simulation chamber was Bra, sitting on a matted pedestal with what appeared to be a milkshake in her hands. Uub forced himself to relax, as a soft smile settled on his face, looking at her from the chamber.

"You're still here," Uub smiled with disbelief.

"Of course I am," Bra slurped her milkshake, giving Uub an angry eye. "You invited me to come here remember?"

"I know I did," He said walking towards her. "I just figured you'd get bored of sitting here and leave by now."

Bra gave him a sharp glare, "Guess you were wrong then, huh?"

Uub looked from her face to the milkshake in her hands, "Guess so," He muttered. "Where'd you get the milkshake?"

"It's a smoothie," Bra corrected him impatiently, "And I got it from the Dairy King across the street."

"You went and got a milkshake while I was training?" Uub said with a smile. _Bra was unpredictable._

"Smoothie," Bra rolled her eyes annoyed, correcting him again.

"Okay," Uub smiled back, a little bitterness in his tone. "You got a _smoothie _while I was training?"

"Yep," Bra slurped her smoothie again. "I got you one too, if it makes you feel any better." She reached beside her and lifted a sack towards him.

"Oh," Uub said surprised. "You didn't have to--"

"I know I didn't," Bra snapped with a slight smile, "But I wanted to. You've been training in there for so long, don't you get thirsty?"

"Occasionally," Uub said as he lifted the smoothie out of the sack. It was only liquid now. "Oh," He said in surprise again.

"Sorry about that," Bra said nonchalantly, "I got it a little while ago."

_Of course_, Uub thought to himself, taking a sip of the smoothie. A nasty taste of warm orange sherbert filled his mouth, and he almost spit it out, but the sheer look of curiousity on Bra's face stopped him.

"It's gone bad, hasn't it?" Bra said, her face wilting somewhat.

"No, no!" Uub reassured her, swallowing the vomitile liquid with a shudder. "It's still good!"

"Oh good," Bra said, happy at once, then her voice turning slightly sterner, "It'd better be. I paid almost five bucks for that!"

_What a waste of money_, "It's worth it," Uub smiled falsely, a terrible aftertaste filling his mouth. Bra looked at him, unconvinced. "Uh," Uub felt suddenly awkward. "I guess I should go back to training," He said turning from her.

"Why?" Bra exclaimed whiningly. "You haven't been out here ten minutes!"

"It's just my daily routine," Uub started, startled that she cared why he trained.

"You have every day to train," Bra crossed her arms sternly. "But when do you have time for anything else?"

"What are you saying?" Uub asked confused.

"You invited me over here," Bra said sharply, "And now you just want me to sit here and do nothing while you train? What's in it for me?"

Uub really had no answer for this. He'd just seen her at the bar, and something in his gut told him to invite her over to the training facility. Now he realized this may have been a bad idea from the start.

"I--I don't know," Uub said, suddenly realizing how childish he sounded.

"You don't know?" Bra said shocked, edging near him. "Did you honestly think I'd like to sit on my bum all day and watch your little simulation chamber bounce up and down and back and forth? Is that what you thought?" She snapped.

"_I DON'T KNOW WHAT I THOUGHT_!" Uub suddenly shouted back, his features flexing and his face tight with anger. Bra, surprised and shocked, jumped off her seat and backed away from him. She looked horrified at him, as if just seeing him for the first time. Uub frowned and placed a hand to his forehead and looked at the ground, embarrassed that he'd lashed out like that.

"Uub?" Bra stammered, "Are you all right?" Her voice was trembling, frightened.

"I'm sorry, Bra," Uub said softly, his features shrinking back to reveal Uub as he had been when he'd exited the simulation chamber.

"Don't be," Bra said softly, moving towards him, her face glistening with sweat beads in the light of the room. "I was acting...stupid. That's all."

"I shouldn't have yelled like that," Uub said frowning, unable to look at her. "That was completely uncalled for."

"You," And now Bra paused and made him look at her. "Had every right to. I was acting like a complete bitch."

Uub looked down at her and a soft smile flashed onto his face. "Did you just call yourself a bitch?" He said with a shocked smile.

Bra looked back up at him with a glimmer of fire in her eyes. Playful fire. "Am I not allowed to call myself that once in a while?"

"I never thought I'd hear you say it though," Uub said, his sad features leaving him, as if a curtain had opened, revealing the sunlight.

"Don't get used to it," Bra said, and softly sat back down upon the pedestal, sipping her smoothie.

"You're not leaving?" Uub couldn't believe she'd stay after he'd just yelled at her.

"No, you're not getting off that easy," Bra said, with an evil smile. "You go back and train some more, but when you're done, I'll be out here waiting for you."

Uub looked at her with mingled shock and disbelief. _What was she doing? _"You'll be here no matter how long I take in there?" He asked her again.

"Take all the time you want," Bra smiled mischievously. "I'll be here when you finish."

"Okay," Uub smiled nervously, and backed towards the chamber. "It may be awhile."

"That's perfect," Bra said slyly, taking another sip of her smoothie, as the doors to the chamber closed between them.

Uub sighed and walked toward the simulation computer, not sure by what Bra had meant.

"SIMULATION SETTINGS, MASTER UUB?" The computer blinked in red.

"Level 7 simulation, 400 times normal gravity," Uub said bluntly, still wondering what she had planned for him.

The computer blinked once more and then the room flashed red and the simulation began.

"Yuck," Marron said, wiping a cob web off of her hand. In twenty minutes, they hadn't even scratched the surface of the filth. _This is going to take forever! _

"At least we have all week to clean it," Goten replied from the kitchen, almost as if he'd read her thoughts. Marron stared at him.

"No offense, Goten, but I don't want to clean this up all week," She said sweeping the floor.

"Neither do I," the Demi-Saiyan smiled back at her, a mop in his hand. "Oh well," He sighed and started mopping.

"You'd think that Bulma would've at least cleaned up all the stuff lying around," Marron grimaced as she picked up a dirty rice bowl and a spider crawled out from inside it.

"I guess no one wanted to mess with the house after Roshi died," Goten said matter-of-factly. "To keep it in tact, you know?"

"Oh, it's just the way he left it," Marron smiled sarcastically as she sweeped off another cobweb, "Other than the spiders, the cobwebs, the dust, the---" Marron stopped when she saw that Goten was laughing at her. "What?"

"Nothing," Goten smiled. "You just reminded me of Videl then."

"How?" Marron asked, a little keen that he'd referred to her as being like Videl, but glad that he had not said she was like his mom.

"Being sarcastic like that," Goten chuckled, leaning over the kitchen countertop and disappearing from sight. "She's always like that at the family get-togethers."

"Good for her and Gohan," Marron said serenely, feeling slightly bitter at Goten's apparent liking of Videl. _Wait_, Marron thought suddenly. _Am I jealous? Of Videl? What's wrong with me?_ Marron chalked up that it was probably the dust getting to her.

"Hey, look what I found!" Goten said suddenly from beneath the countertop.

"What is it?" Marron asked putting her broom aside.

"Come here and take a look," Goten shouted to her. Marron walked over to the countertop. Goten was sitting on the floor, two small doors open underneath where the sink was.

"Plumbing pipes?" Marron giggled, as she bent down with him.

"Even better," Goten pulled out a blue bottle, "I think we've found Roshi's liquor cabinet." He put the bottle in Marron's hands. It was dusty, but the liquid inside still looked fresh.

"This is wine," Marron said aloud, but the words had been meant for her to hear only. Goten nodded.

"Yeah, there's wine in here," He peered into the small space under the sink, "And rum, and Saki, and Gin, and Whiskey, and Vodka, and---"

"Roshi was that big of a drinker?" Marron interrupted, staring into the cabinet. Sure enough there were at least three different types of each drink Goten had described, the bottles dusty, but the contents still looked as new as ever. "How long has he had this?" Marron asked as she gazed at the bottles. The Whiskey and Saki ones were at least half empty if not almost empty all the way. However, the rum, whine, gin, and vodka bottles all looked new, as if never opened.

"Who knows?" Goten sighed and put the shut the cabinet door. He then caught sight of the whine bottle still in Marron's hands.

"Forgetting this?" Marron asked, handing him the bottle.

"Hey, how old is that?" Goten asked, taking the bottle from her hands, as if he hadn't even heard her question. "Wow, fifteen years! He must have been saving this for something!"

"Since when did you become an expert with wines?" Marron raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not an expert. I just know that the longer you leave wine alone, the better it gets," Goten was on his feet now, searching the countertop drawers for something.

"Well let's leave it alone for a few more years so it gets better," Marron smiled anxiously as Goten opened up another drawer.

"When are we ever going to be here again, Marron?" Goten said with a smile, "Here's one!" He pulled out a cork opener from the drawer.

"Goten, that's not even ours--"

"He's dead, Marron!" Goten said, a little frustrated now. "He's not going to come back and get it!"

"I know that!" Marron interjected, her face reddening. "But still, what if Bulma--"

"Bulma doesn't care if we have a little wine," He jiggled the bottle so that the contents slushed around.

"Goten, I just don't--"

"Besides," Goten was putting the cork puller on the top of the wine bottle, "A little wine may actually help us get the energy to clean up this house faster." The cork suddenly came off with a loud **_POP! _**Goten quickly poured the wine into two glasses that he'd set out.

"Goten, wine's not an energy drink!" Marron exclaimed as Goten raised his glass. The clear contents of the bottle stared back at him as he examined his drink.

"You know what," Goten said with a small sigh, annoyed. "You whine too much."

"Excuse me?" Marron said, her face suddenly looking like her mom's.

"You heard me," Goten smiled slyly. "You whine too much. Why don't you just enjoy life for once?" He handed her the glass. She looked at it hesitantly. "Haven't you ever drank before?"

"Once or twice," Marron sighed, sniffing the whine. It smelled interesting enough.

"Oh, then don't worry about it. It's just wine," He took a sip of it and smiled, "Wow, that is excellent."

"Is it?" Marron asked, unsure of the glass. She'd never had wine before.

"Oh, it's just a little wine, Marron. It's not going to hurt anyone!" Goten smiled, his face puckering at the second taste. "Eh, get's a little sour the second time around," He glanced at her unsure face. "Just drink it, okay?"

Marron, hesitating at first, took the glass and flipped it into her open mouth, draining the glass. Suddenly chills ran down her and she sputtered towards the sink, feeling nausious.

"You don't drink it all at once!" Goten yelled in disbelief, propping her back up. "It's not a shot glass you know!"

"Sorry," Marron stuttered, the sickness starting to leave her.

"You've never really drinked have you?" Goten said with a soft smile.

"No," Marron said at once.

"Well, here," Goten poured her another glass, chuckling softly. "This time, don't drain it all at once. Savor it."

This time Maron did take her time, as the sweet yet sour taste filled her mouth. It was sour, yet extremely good. "That is good!"

"See?" Goten smiled, pouring himself another glass. "Want to start cleaning again?"

"Hold on," Marron smiled, taking another sip.

Sweat poured from every oraface of his body. Uub walked exhaustedly toward the computer, which flashed LEVEL 14 COMPLETE, MASTER UUB. Uub heavily raised a finger to the computer and clicked on a small red arrow which then displayed the time, 7:24 PM.

_Dear Lord, _Uub thought suddenly, a wave of surprise echoeing over his body, _It's that late already? _He hadn't expected the training to be that long. He usually was done an hour ago, but a sudden burst of energy in him had pushed him to train longer than usual. _Geez, I bet Bra's already gone. _A new wave of frustration and sadness washed over him, _I should have stopped a while ago and told her to go. _

Anxious to get out of the capsule and go apologize for what had happened earlier, which he still felt guilty for lashing out at her, Uub quickly turned off the computer and headed out of the training facility. He got about three steps out when suddenly he froze in his tracks, his mouth gaped open in surprise.

Where the mat Bra had been sitting on had been, there was now a small table with two chairs on either side of it, and a lone candle burning in the middle of the table. White lace mats were under two empty dishes, silverware on either side of the dish, and the lights had been dimmed startingly, to create a romantic glow. Uub's face was still open in shock when Bra appeared from the other side of the capsule.

Bra had her hair up in a small bun, a red flower clipping it in place. The black lace dress she had on looked new, the lacey fringe on the end of the dress in a slant so it barely hit the lower thigh. She had two silver dishes in her hands, and Uub wasn't sure what he was more surprised about: the fact that she had actually fixed a meal for him, or the fact that she was in a low cut dress that looked more like lingerie than an cocktail dress.

Uub slowly walked down the ramp and towards the small table, where Bra laid the platters down. She smiled as he slowly sat in the seat, almost like he was in a trance, still staring at her with his mouth halfway open. Bra smiled and took a seat beside him.

"You can close your mouth anytime you want you," Bra said with a cunning smile.

Uub's mouth automatically shut. "You---you---," The words were stuck in his throat.

"I told you I would surprise you, didn't I?" Bra said, the smile growing broader on her face.

"But, I had no idea," Uub stammered, "You didn't have to--"

"I know I didn't," Bra said slyly. "But I did. Now, are you going to eat or not?"

Uub stared at the dish and then back at Bra, "Why are you doing this?"

Bra shrugged, "You're too uptight, you know? You need to relax, take your mind off of training, and focus on," She paused, "Other things."

"Other things?" Uub asked skeptically.

"That's right. Other things of importance, such as a _life_, perhaps," She opened her silver dish to reveal a something that looked similar to chicken.

"I have a life," Uub said sternly, as if insulted.

"Sure you do. Train, drink, sleep, train," Bra mused, "What a life. Wish I had one like it."

"Ha ha," The dark warrior smiled sarcastically, "As opposed to shop, whine, shop, whine, eat, sleep, whine, shop?"

Bra's smile instantly faded, revealing a very bulma-like frown, "Look, I'm just trying to help you enjoy your life some more, okay?"

"Sure, that's it," Uub said, forking some of the food on the dish, "Or maybe you're just looking for a rebound after Goten."

Bra looked like someone had slapped her in the face, "That's not what I want!"

"Uh, huh. So you show up in a dress like that and fix me dinner and expect me just to relax?"

Bra actually smiled an admirable smile, "You like it?" She motioned to her dress, as if she'd heard nothing else he'd said.

Uub smiled nervously, a bit of sweat on his forehead, "Uh, it's alright," He lied.

"Alright?" Bra said, her voice suddenly sweeter, "Is that all it is? Alright?"

"It's very nice," Uub said looking away from her, trying to get off the subject.

Bra was still smiling, "Oh," She said, feigning innocence, "Well then you'd best eat up then. I made that meal just for you, and you're letting it get cold." Uub saw that she was right, and he took a bite of it.

"Not bad," He said, hoping the subject of Bra's revealing dress was now dropped. "What is it?"

"No idea," Bra admitted, taking another bite. "I picked it up in town while I was getting this dress."

Uub let out a small groan, _he was back on the dress conversation. _

By the edge of the kitchen cabinet, lay an empty wine bottle. And an empty Gin bottle, along with the remains of Saki, Rum, Vodka, and Whiskey that laid next to the other bottles, most of them empty, some with half the contents left. A lone bottle of whine lay in the back ot the cabinet, still untouched.

Not five feet away lay Goten, mop still in hand, laughing as hard as he ever had. Marron was slumped near a couch, obviously over-consumed by the liquor, her hands trying to stop the continuous onslaught of giggles that burst from her mouth. The house looked mostly clean, although it was obvious which parts of the house had been cleaned during the buzzed stages of the two, judging by how items were merely shoved aside to make the are _look _clean. It was definately obvious that the two were _under the table_, so to speak.

"Ha ha," Goten laughed, rolling to meet Marron's tear-filled eyes as she giggled some more. "That was fun."

"Yes, ha ha ha," Marron giggled, "See? It didn't take that long! Ha ha!" She seemed to slip off the chair and into the floor, causing more laughter.

"You're drunk," Goten chuckled observingly, laying the mop against the bar stool beside him.

"No I'm not!" Marron protested with a hazy smile. But it was plain to see she was.

"Yes you are," Goten objected, "How much have you drank?"

"I don't know!" Marron snapped, a stupid smile still on her face, "What's left in the cabinet?"

"Hold on," Goten wobbled toward the cabinet and saw the wine bottle. "Wow," He started laughing again.

"What?" Marron giggled.

"Only one bottle of wine left."

"What?" Marron slowly started to weave towards the cabinet, but lost her balance and fell in Goten's arms. "Oof!"

"Gotcha," Goten said with a heavy sigh.

"That's it?" Marron's smile faded slightly, "We drank all of that?" She pointed to the empty and half-filled bottles.

"Guess so," Goten let her slide down his leg and land on the floor. She laid next to him, her head not five inches from his. "So," Goten started.

"So," Marron sighed, as a giggle escaped her lips. "Should we drink the other bottle?" She said with a drunken smile.

"No, no," Goten said softly, looking at her with objection. "We can't do that!"

"Why not?" Marron was giggling again.

"We have to save it!" Goten smiled as Marron started to reach for it. Goten grabbed her arm and forced her to lay down next to him again.

"Why?" Marron sighed, tugging against his grasp.

"Don't you want to save it for the wedding?" Goten said with a frown.

Marron gave him a tilted glance. "We are getting married, aren't we?" She asked hazily.

"Of course we are, that's why we're here," Goten said in an exasperated voice. Marron stopped struggling against his grip and laid down next to him, on her side facing him on his.

"Yes," She let his finger trace her cheek, "I suppose it is." She let out a giggle as his fingers ran through her blond hair.

"You're still drunk," Goten smiled.

"I know," Marron admitted.

"You're going to feel it in the morning," Goten said with a sad smile.

"So are you!" Marron giggled, rubbing her hand on his arm, staring at the muscles that chiseled it.

"Maybe, maybe not," Goten smiled. The two sat there motionless for a moment, then their eyes met.

Goten finally started to speak, "Marron, I--,"

"I know, Goten," Marron said sweetly, and in that instant she grabbed him by the neck and brought him towards her.

Goten at first thought she was going to kiss him, but then, in that same instant, he felt her nuzzle her head against his chest. Goten wasn't sure what to do. _Should I kiss her? Should I not? What do I do? _It seemed to take an eternity for Goten to come back towards reality and leave his thought-filled mind. He looked down and saw her sleeping soundly against his chest._ I suppose I have all week to get a kiss from her_, Goten thought sadly, then, to the best of his abilities, softly lay her head down on the floor and laid next to her, contemplating what he should do next. He decided in his mind at that instant, that he wanted a kiss from her sober, and not drunk. So, picking her up as soundly as possible, he carried her to Roshi's room, which looked better than it had hours ago. He laid her on Roshi's old bed as gently as possible, then made his way back to the kitchen-living room area.

Picking up the empty bottles, and putting the not-so-empty bottles back into the cabinet beside the full wine bottle, Goten slowly made his way towards the couch, and as soon as he fell onto it, he had closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

After a final bite, Uub managed to put his fork down. _The food was much more filling than anything he usually ate. _

"Are you done?" Bra asked, twirling a strand of hair that hung down from her bun and eyeing him curiously.

"I usually don't eat this much," Uub explained.

"Oh," Bra replied, seeming slightly glad that he hadn't finished because he didn't like it. _He'd better have liked it!_

"So," Uub sighed, unsure of what to say. "Thank you for the meal," He said to Bra with a nod.

Bra smiled, "You're welcome." She was being unusually quiet all of a sudden.

_Okaaaay..._, Uub thought "Do you need," He paused, trying to word his sentences right. "A ride home or anything?"

"No, I brought a vehicle," Bra said with a soft smile, that still had some evil tracing it.

"Uhm, so I guess that's that then, huh?" Uub said standing up. _What else was there to say?_

"Guess so," Bra replied, standing as well. _Here we go._

"Well, thanks again," Uub smiled falsely. _The conversation's getting cold..._

"Well, you're welcome again," Bra said, the sinister smile not leaving her pale features. _This is it..._

"Uh--," Uub started.

At that moment, Bra rushed towards him and grabbed him by the shoulders and thrusted him towards her. Uub didn't even see it coming. Before he could even react, her lips were against his, and a rush of chills swept over him, goosebumps running up and down his arms and legs. Bra let go of him for a moment, and gave him a triumphant, cunning grin.

Uub was almost speechless, "What---what was that?" His voice was a mix of shock and curiousity.

"What was that?" Bra said with a slightly cold laugh, "That was called a kiss. Ever had one?"

"Well," _To be honest_, Uub thought, "No, not really."

Bra let out a mirthless laugh and put her arms around his neck, "Wow, then I guess that was an experience for you."

"Bra, I---," But Uub couldn't find anything to say to her. Nothing seemed to fit. As much as he hated to admit it, he'd actually _enjoyed _the feeling her lips against his had broughten. _But it's Bra..._His mind seemed to scream at him.

"You don't have to say anything," The demi-Saiyan said softly, her hand over his lips. She looked over behind him, towards the training chamber. "Say," A smile sparked across her face, "Let's spare."

"What?" Uub was very certain that she couldn't even begin to grasp the concept of sparing, much less actually do it.

"Come on," Bra said, a whininess hint in her voice, "I want to spare you."

"You'll get your butt creamed," Uub said with a stern look.

"Not if you go easy on me," Bra said tempting him closer to the chamber. Uub didn't know if he wanted to go inside the capsule with her or not.

"If you get hurt and your father--"

"Daddy won't know anything about this," Bra said, her smile cunning. "I promise."

Uub was very doubtful of that, "Are you sure?"

"Positive," Bra said as she walked into the chamber. The door to the training facility shut behind them.

Uub wasn't sure of what he was getting into, but he figured that this was the only way to make her happy, and for some reason, making her happy seemed to be his utmost goal at the moment. And he wasn't sure why.

_**Well well well, LOL HOw was it? I loooooved writing this chapter, and It may be one of my favorites to date so far! Well, sorry for the long update, but I hope to get the next chapter up as soon as I can! **_

_**Things are heating up, aren't they? Well, Chapter Eleven will feature Marron and Goten's second day at the Roshi House and Bra and Uub's budding relationship! What do you think about Uub and Bra? Let me know! You guys that review this story are what keeps me going! Thank you so much, guys!**_

_**Romania Black**_


	11. Day Two, Breakfast Blues

The Taming of the Saiyan

By Romania Black

_**Well, Time for Chapter Eleven! This was a hard chapter to title, and even harder one to write, but I had fun with it and that's what counts, eh?**_

_**In the last chapters, Roshi was stated to be dead. One of my reviewers, Princess Star Neko, informed me that this wasn't the case, and that Roshi is immortal; a very odd development in light of the plot. So as far as the story goes now, Roshi is to be considered "Dead" as in he went off with Shenron at the end of GT along with Goku and (I think) Piccolo. But who knows, he may return later on in the story. Wouldn't that be interesting? Who knows, you guys' opinions influence alot of what I write on. SO, who knows, he may or may not return. But thanks, Princess Star Neko, for the update! I owe ya! **_

_**Disclaimer: Okay, I own nothing of Akira Toriyama, but if he DID want to use any of my ideas...well, uh, GO FOR IT! LOL**_

_**Reviews:**_

**_Killahcam: Judging by the last chapter, I'd say they had a good time! LOL, thanks for the review!_**

**_CheyaAngel: Thanks for the review! I try to update as soon as I can write, but Summer is so busy for me, that it gets hard to do so! But, no worries! I'll update as soon as I can manage! Glad to have you reviewing again! _**

**_Princess Star Neko: THANK YOU FOR THE INFO! I had no idea about the Roshi situation, having not seen a lot of Dragon Ball the first series when Goku was a young child. I see the problem in the situation, so at the moment, we'll have to settle with the assumption that like Goku, Roshi went with Shenron. However, I'm thinking that it may be a good idea if Roshi came back and had a chat with Bulma or something! LOL, who knows what the future holds! Thanks for the information though and I hope that otherwise you enjoy the story!_**

**_Kumori Ookami: Hi, welcome to the story! Thanks for the review, too! Glad you think that the story is cool!_**

**_SInful Sakura: Hey, thanks! I love marron and Goten together, and have alot in store for them to write about! I'm so excited! Oh, and I feel bad for Uub too! Bra is very seductive and evil in this story, but she does have her sincere moments, but they're few in this story. After all, she is Vegeta's daughter! Thanks so much for the review! I'll update as soon as I can! _**

**_Tony: Thanks Tony! Even though Marron and Goten will fuss and have their differences in this story, I think by the end they WILL see all that is similar about them...maybe...who knows what's in store for them! Thanks for the review!_**

_**Romania Black**_

Chapter Eleven: Day Two, Breakfast Blues

At first, there was a soft pounding in his ears, and then silence. Goten's dark eyes snapped open as the sunlight gleamed into the windows of the Roshi house. Feeling slightly stiff, Goten sat up from the couch, tipping over an empty saki bottle that was beside him into the floor. The bottle clanked lightly and rolled a few feet away from him. The Demi-Saiyan let out a soft groan; _I shouldn't have drank almost all of Roshi's liquor._ Yet even as he thought this, Goten was starting to feel more and more sober. _Maybe Saiyans don't get hangovers, _Goten mused as he stood up, his legs slightly wobbly. He rubbed his eyes and re-fluffed the pillow next to him. Letting out a yawn and stretching his arms above his head, Goten smiled as the light filtered into the living room. Walking towards the kitchen, he pulled back the blinds of one window to gaze out at the beautiful ocean view that lay before him.

Sighing softly, with a very satisfied grin on his face, Goten laid the empty saki bottle in the garbage can beside him. Once again, being part-Saiyan had its advantages. _Hmmm, so Saiyans don't get hangovers, _the Demi-Saiyain let a sly smile stretch across his features, _that could be important someday at any future parties I attend. _

Just then a loud sigh filtered into the room. Goten jumped, his eyes wide and cautious as he looked around to find the source of the noise. Then he remembered Marron was in Roshi's old room. Letting out a sigh of relief, Goten took a small, quiet peek into the room.

Marron was laying on Roshi's bed on her side, the arch of her back slowly rising up and down as she breathed. The lights in the room were off, but Goten could still make out her sleeping silouette. His first instinct was to wake her, but then he thought better of it. _She'll probably have a big hangover_, Goten thought with a small frown. _She needs to sleep a little longer. _

Goten turned around and walked back towards the kitchen. "What do I do?" He muttered aloud. He rumaged through the cabinets, looking for food. Of course, none were to be found. All that was in the cabinets were cobwebs and some indistinct shapes Goten thought were probably mouse poop. "So there's no food in here," Goten said. _You shouldn't be surprised, _a voice in his head told him, _Did you honestly think there would be food here, waiting for you? _

Having lived with his mother for all this time, Goten didn't ever have to depend on much on his own. Chi Chi usually supplied everything for them. Now that he was on his own, he had never taken into account the food situation. And he guessed that neither had Marron.

_I'd best go and wake her, _He started, but then his head caught a differend idea. _Wait, you'd better let her be for now. She's sleepin' and you know mom hates it when you wake HER up, so Marron probably won't either. _The wheels in Goten's head spun a little.

"I know," He said suddenly, walking towards the door slowly. "I'll go into town and get some food and bring it back." He looked outside, opening the door slowly. "It won't take that long; I'll just fly there and back. And then I can fix breakfast for Marron when she wakes up." The plan sounded good to the Demi-Saiyan, and Goten nodded to himself in agreement. _Perfect_, he thought as he took off into the air, the door quietly shutting behind him.

_Wow, _Uub thought, laying on the floor of the training chamber. Tilting his head to the side, he gazed at the computer, which had the time, 6:08 AM flashing in red lights. Uub sat up slightly and turned to his left to gaze at Bra, who was sleeping beside him.

Uub didn't know how it had escalated so quickly. One second he was walking into the training chamber with her, ready to do some playtime sparing, and the next thing he knew, she had her arms around him, dragging him to the ground. _She's a wild one, _he thought steadily, as he reached for his shirt, which was laying where he'd left it before he'd ate with her that night.

Uub still had his pants on, _luckily_, he thought. Fortunately, he'd resisted doing anything other than smothering her faces with kisses, which he couldn't recall the reason for doing so, but he had nonetheless. She was lying beside him on her back, her black lacey dress slid up towards her upper thigh, but not revealing anything. Uub was glad for that too. Uub stared at her for a moment; _She looks like an angel when she sleeps, _he thought. _Looks like an angel, and kisses more fiery than the devil, _Uub chuckled as he stood up. _She was a good kisser_, he recalled, _Must have got it from her mother. _Suddenly, the reason Vegeta and Bulma had gotten married seemed a small bit clearer.

The fighter opened the chamber door, trying not to wake her, and shut it behind him. _For what its worth, she's not that bad, _he told himself in his mind. _A bit whiny, yes. A bit of a pain at times, yes. But she is lovely at times too... _Uub shook his head with a frown. _What's happening to me? _

A tiny voice in his head seemed to answer, _You're falling in love with her, that's what. You've been with her for less than a day, and you're already head over heels! _The voice seemed to laugh at him. _You saw her in that bar and you just had to talk to her didn't you? _

Uub stared around at the table and empty dishes. His stomach growled with a rumble. _There's no food here, genius, _the voice told him. Uub realized he'd have to leave and get breakfast. _I should go and bring something back for her. Knowing her, she'll still be asleep when I get back, _he thought casually. _Not a bad plan._

Opening up the door to the small privately owned gym that Uub had in his posession, he locked the door behind him so no one would bother the sleeping Bra and unlocked his vehicle. After hopping into the car, Uub took off to the nearest gas station to get something to eat for the two of them.

Goten sped up in the air, the view of the city closing in on him. It was a gorgeous day, the light fluffy clouds stirring as he wen through them; the breeze caught in his thick, jet black hair. Goten looked down to see the lay of the city sprawled out below him. Thinking to himself, he scratched his chin and scanned the area. _Let's see...where should I go? _He let out a sigh, "The grocery store is up ahead, but I don't want to wait in line. Marron might wake up, and I want to be there when she does." This didn't leave many options. Goten didn't feel like waiting in line this morning, and didn't want to go through the drive through anywhere. _Where should I go? _

Then it hit him. _A gas station! I bet they'll have some breakfast sandwhich or something there! _He peered down to spot a Great Eight gas station below him and slowly descended towards it. Plopping himself lightly on the ground, Goten shook the bugs from his hair and dusted himself off. Then straightening his shirt, he walked in casually to the gas station, avoiding the obvious gaping mouths of the locals that were walking by. Men flying up to gas stations on their own accord wasn't a daily visual that was seen very often. Goten was used to their faces, _they'll get used to it eventually. _

The skinny man at the counter greeted him with an audible gulping sound. Goten waved to him friendly, but the man appeared too shocked to wave back. _Oh well_, he thought, rumaging through the small, short aisles. _What would Marron like? _Goten really didn't know her taste in breakfast foods. There were sausage or bacon egg and cheese sandwhiches, but Goten wasn't sure what she'd want more: _Sausage or bacon? Does she like bacon? What about eggs? Is she allergic to cheese? _Questions flooded Goten's mind, but none of them could be easily answered.

Goten looked through the choices for doughnuts and pastries and felt even more lost. _What do I do? _He looked towards the cashier, thinking he'd drop a helpful hint to him, but the skinny man was now facing the window towards the gas pumps, his back to Goten. Goten let out a frustrated groan, when he suddenly spotted a familiar face. The Saiyan's face lit up with surprise and friendly shock.

"Hey Uub!" Goten yelled out enthusiastically.

Uub froze in his tracks, stunned with surprise and a sudden rush of terror. The last thing he'd ever expected was for someone he knew to see him, much less the former ex of Bra. At first he didn't say anything, the sheer shock of seeing Goten freezing him in his steps. Then, upon realizing that Goten wanted an answer from him, Uub put on a false smile and waved cheerily.

"Hey, Goten," He stammered nervously, "How's it, uh, going?"

"Good, good," Goten smiled a friendly smile, looking every bit like Goku it wasn't even funny.

_Creepy how much he looks like him, _Uub thought, awestruck.

"What are you doing here, Goten?" Uub asked with a slight frown. He thought Bra had mentioned something about Marron and him being out at the Roshi's house for a week. "I thought you had reservation's at Roshi's," The fighter said.

"Oh, well, we forgot to pack food," Goten smiled goofishly, realizing how dumb they must have seemed. "Heh, heh, who would have thought to bring food along, eh?"He could feel the red rising in his cheeks.

Uub could sense his embarrassment. "Who would have?" He replied with a small snicker. _Of all people to forget to bring food, I would never have expected Goten as one of them. _Uub cleared his throat and looked around nervously, suddenly remembering about Bra.

"Here for breakfast?" Goten asked quickly, changing the subject. Uub nodded.

"Yeah, I usually come here in the morning," His eyes wandered the shelves beside him, eyeing the breakfast sandwhiches.

"Hey, Uub, you ever eat with Marron before?" Goten asked suddenly.

Caught rather off guard, Uub jumped back a little. "Why?"

"I don't know what to get her to eat," Goten's voice faded as he stared at the breakfast pastries in front of him.

"Well, I can't say that I've eaten a whole lot with her," Uub stated, starting around for anything to give Goten so he could be on his way, "But I do know that she's eaten toast before," He said, handing Goten a loaf of bread. _It was the gas station quality, probably not very tasty. _"She'll like some toast; easy to make too."

"You think?" Goten asked, curiosly eyeing the loaf.

"Sure, she'll love it," Uub started to casually walk away from Goten. _If I'm was quick, I can get the sandwhiches and be back to Bra within--_

"Toast is easy to make, eh?" Goten interrupted Uub's thoughts. Uub couldn't believe that Goten had never made toast before.

Uub let out a sigh of frustration and tried to smile, "Yeah, pretty easy. See ya, Goten." He waved and started to walk off.

Goten followed him around the corner of the aisle, the loaf in hand. "You're in a rush, aren't you?"

"You aren't?" Uub said in a very Vegeta-like growl. He didn't have time for this.

"Well, yeah, but I usually don't see you too much Uub, and I figured you'd want to chat a little," It was obvious Goten was onto Uub's strange behavior.

"Sorry, Goten," Uub aplogized, "I'm just busy this morning, that's all." _If I don't hurry, Bra will wake up and figure out I'm not there and then--_

"Bra?" Goten suddenly bursted out. Uub froze, mouth gaped open in horror. Goten frowned, _Why's he talking about Bra?_

"Wha--what did you say?" Uub was still in shock. _NO way! There was NO WAY he read my thoughts!_

Goten obviously realized that Uub hadn't mentioned anything about Bra, because his face lit up in embarrassment, "Errr, what about her?"

"You read my thoughts, Goten!" Uub yelled, his face contorting angrily.

Goten turned red in the face as he swung the loaf of bread, "I didn't mean to! And what's this about Bra anyway?" It was his turn to get angry.

Uub turned his head to look around, making sure no one had heard them, "Shhhh, keep it down!"

"What did you two do?" Goten pressed, his voice softer, but his dark eyes like steel jabbing into Uub's.

Uub tried to turn away, but Goten's face begged for an answer. The fighter sighed and took a breath, looking at the floor. "I don't want you to be upset Goten..."

"Why should I?" He raised an eyebrow. "She and I are through, so what difference should it make?"

"If you tell anyone Goten," Uub said threateningly, sweat forming on his brow, "I swear I will--"

"No," Goten's eyes were huge with realization, "You didn't!" It was obvious that Goten knew exactly what had happened, though Uub didn't know how he could have known. He guessed Goten was reading his mind as they spoke.

"We didn't do what you think we did," Uub said anxiously, sure that someone else that knew Bulma or Vegeta was near them, "But we did spend the night in the Training Chamber--" He tried to say it non-chalantly.

"The Training Chamber?" Goten laughed, "Wow, that's a new one..." He sounded mildly impressed, much to Uub's surprise.

"I swear if anyone finds out about this I'm dead! Do you hear me Goten?" Uub's face was redder than Goten's cherry colored shirt.

"No sweat," Goten smiled cunningly, "So how is the old dog?" He asked with a smile.

Uub smiled nervously, "Uh, not bad."

"Be honest," Goten urged him.

"Okay, it was great," Uub smiled finally, the nervousness subsiding, "She made this awesome dinner for us, showed up in this great dress and then--"

"What?" Goten interupted, frowning. "She made you dinner?" _Bra make dinner? No way!_

"Yeah. Why's that surprising?" Uub raised an eyebrow at Goten.

Goten shrugged, "Never did that for me," He turned towards Uub. Uub was mildly surprised. _So what does that mean, _he wondered to himself. Goten offered no answer to this, but rather seemed a bit jealous of the special treatment Uub was recieving.

"Hey, uh," Uub suddenly realized the time, "I have to get back to the gym..." his voice trailed on.

"That gym of yours," Goten smiled, the jealousy on his face leaving him. "You ever leave it?"

"I may be more often now than ever," Uub said slyly. Goten realized what he meant and smiled back.

"No worries, man. No one will ever know," He winked and walked towards the register.

Uub flashed Goten a look equal to death. Goten gulped loudly. Uub suddenly smiled, "They'd better not." Goten was about to reply to this, but the cashier was asking for money for the loaf and Uub looked rather busy picking out breakfast items for him and Bra. He decided not to.

Goten laughed as he paid for his bread and some butter he picked up as well, but as he flew away the look on Uub's face wouldn't leave his mind. _I think he was serious, _Goten thought with a frown. _Geez, _the reality of the situation suddenly hit him, _Vegeta will FLIP if he ever finds out what happened with those two..._

Goten finally made it back to the Roshi house, the loaf of bread softly blowing against his side. He landed smoothly on the white sand and walked towards the house. Opening the door quietly, he noticed that no one was awake yet. Walking into the kitchen, Goten saw through Roshi's bedroom door, the still sleeping silouette of Marron. Goten let out a sigh of relief, _He was back in time. _

Unwrapping the twisti-tie on the bread loaf, Goten examined the contents laid out on the table. _What do I do now? How much do I make? Does she like jelly? _He felt like slapping himself upside the face, _I didn't get jelly! I'm so stupid! _Goten sighed. _Well, I guess she'll like it either way. _

Goten popped a slice of bread into the toaster beside him. Then another. He sighed, realizing this was going to take awhile.

_That went better than I thought, _Uub thought with a frown as he reached the door to the gym. To his surprise, Goten had been much more open and accepting of the situation of him and Bra than Uub had expected. Perhaps he was getting ahead of himself. As far as he knew, no one would ever suspect Bra and him, other than Goten, but he'd sworn never to tell a soul about the couple. Unlocking the gym door he entered, feeling very satisfied with how the morning had turned out.

"So, you left me."

Uub nearly jumped out of his skin for the second time today, as he backed against the door. Bra stomped up to him, her long blue hair billowing as she walked, a very stern look on her face as she cornered him against the wall. Uub pulled off an innocent smile.

"What? I--"

"You left me here!" Bra interrupted, her dark blue eyes lit up in anger. "What if someone had came in and found me and--"

"I locked the door," Uub explained, forcing her back gently. He held up two tin-foil wrapped sandwhiches, "I brought you breakfast; that's why I left in the first place. Here," He shoved it in her hand. Bra stared at it for a moment.

"Bacon, egg, and cheese?" Bra raised an eyebrow.

"You wanted Sausage?" Uub said slyly, smiling a bit.

"Bacon is fine," Bra sighed, taking a bite out of the sandwhich and falling into one of the chairs from the previous night.

"So," Uub was once again feeling awkward. "What now?" He turned to Bra for an answer.

Bra merely shrugged and took another bite of her sandwhich. "I don't know."

Uub's face crumpled a bit. That wasn't the answer he'd expected, "Are we," He paused, hesitating to say the word, "Are we a couple now?"

Bra smiled an amused smile and turned to Uub, her face never leaving her breakfast, "I guess we are, aren't we?" Her voice was soft as she spoke.

Uub let out a relieved breath and took a seat next to her, relieved that she had admitted they were now a couple. "So..."

"You say that a lot," Bra said observantly, eyeing him while taking another bite.

"And the problem is?" Uub stared at her, a small hint of annoyance in his voice.

"It's annoying," She said simply, looking around her. "No drink?"

"Oh, come on!" Uub said, standing up suddenly. He then realized how stupid he looked just standing there and paced from the training chamber to the table and back slowly. "You want me to get you a drink?" He said, looking at her sternly.

"Well, that was why I asked wasn't it?" Bra said rolling her eyes. "You're not shaping up to be a good boyfriend so far you know."

Uub was about to say something, but resisted. He'd never been anyone's "boyfriend" before and wasn't sure what to say.

"I brought you breakfast. Was that a bad thing?" He asked her with a shaking in his voice.

"You did that out of guilt," Bra snapped sharply, "You didn't do it out of love or liking."

Uub found that this was true. He wanted to say something to her, but no words would come out of his mouth. He tried to speak again: nothing.

"Do I embarrass you?" Bra said, frowning at him innocently, her large dark ocean eyes staring at him in curiousity. Uub found it hard to look away from them.

"No," Uub said truthfully enough, "I'm just afraid someone will find out--"

"About us?" Bra stood and walked towards him. "Why? Why are you afraid?"

"Shouldn't that be obvious?" Uub said in disbelief.

"My father?" Bra shook her head and smiled, "He'll be so happy I'm with you and _not _Goten, he won't have time to get mad at you."

"You say that as if it'll be so easy," Uub said with a skeptical look. "I've seen him mad, Bra. It's not a good state for him." Memories of all the battles he'd been in flowed into Uub's mind. At least, all the ones Uub'd seen himself.

"Trust me on this one, Uub," Bra said with a reassuring tone in her voice. "Dad won't be mad."

"For the moment, can we just _not _tell him," Uub pleaded, "Just to be safe."

Bra sighed, annoyed, "Whatever," And turned away from him. _Just let him be for now..._

Uub, a lot happier now that that was settled, grabbed Bra's hand and turned towards the door.

"What are you doing?" Bra asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You said you wanted a drink," Uub said with a smile.

"And you want to get it with me in broad daylight?" Bra asked with a sly smile.

"Yes," Uub said sternly, but still smiling, "Now do you want a drink or not?"

Bra smiled and sighed, nodding her head as Uub ushered her out of the doorway and into his car.

Sunlight poured into Roshi's room. At first, Marron didn't want to open her eyes, but a wave of nausea that hit her shortly after forced her to and made her retreat to the bathroom with a rush of sickness. After a few painful moments, she exited the bathroom, a slight pounding in her temples.

_Well, _Marron thought with a annoyed sigh, _Maybe that wasn't the best decision I've made in my life. _She couldn't believe she'd actually drank that much. She only remembered passing out on Goten's chest and then waking up in Roshi's bed. She hoped that's all that happened after she'd passed out, but she trusted Goten to not do anything stupid. At least not in that sense.

As she walked out of Roshi's room, a hand to her head, all she could think about was how careless she'd been. _If my mother knew..._

She was stopped in her tracks by the smell of burnt toast. Her eyes immediately turning towards the kitchen, she saw a most peculiar sight.

Goten was huddled over the toaster, a blue and green floral patterend oven mitt on each hand, quickly fumbling burning pieces of toast onto a plate beside him, which was already stacked with over a dozen burnt slices. She watched him as he slabbed butter clumsily onto the crisp black toast before laying them ontop of the plate's stack. The knife in his mittened hands looked very silly, as did Goten dipping the knife in the butter, causing his mitts to get a better coat of butter than the bread. Even though his back was turned to her, every time he put the piece of toast onto the plate, she could glimpse the side of his face. He looked frustrated, but his expression was priceless; a child's innocence in his eyes. It made him look so much like Goku it was unreal.

Marron tried to stifle a laugh, which was immediately what her first instinct to the situation was: to laugh. But she held it in a little longer, until Goten turned around that is. Goten wheeled around with the plate of toast, sporting a pink apron with the words **KISS ME** on the front of it in bold letters, the end of his hair was smoking, one strand with a small flame still on the end of it, and burnt toast bits and butter smeared all over his face, mingled with the sweat that was pouring down it. Marron caught one glance of him facing her and couldn't hold it in. She let out a peal of laughter, startling Goten and almost causing him to spill the plate of toast.

"Marron!" Goten yelled in surprise, balancing the plate of toast back into his hands. He hadn't expected her to be up this early.

It took Marron a few minutes to stop laughing, tears rolling down her cheeks from laughing so much. "Oh my...Goten...ha ha ha...Oh my gosh..." She was still laughing as Goten set the plate onto the table beside them, and looked at her curiously.

"What?" He looked down at himself, "Is it the apron?"

This caused Marron to laugh even more, "Where did you get that?" She finally managed to ask.

"It was in Roshi's closet," Goten said, his face turning red with embarrassment. He whipped the apron off, "Do I have something on my face too?"

"Y--yes," Marron sputtered, leaning on the chair beside the table for support.

Goten wiped off the butter and toast bits with the apron and laid it on the kitchen counter. "Is it all off?"

Marron settled down, clutching her stomach, as she sank into the chair, "It's--it's all gone, now, Goten," She was still giggling.

"Okay then," Goten reached for another plate and looked at Marron with as serious a face as he could muster. "Do you want any breakfast?"

Marron finally stopped laughing, and looked at Goten with an amused smile on her face, "Goten, you didn't have to do this."

"I know I didn't," Goten said bluntly. "But I did, so do you want any?"

"Goten, I," Marron liked toast, but what Goten had created was not toast. Goten laid a plate with two pieces in front of her, and she poked one of the pieces with her fork. Hard as a rock, and black all over. She looked to Goten and saw an anxious, anticipating look on his face. She looked back at the plate. _Was he expecting her to eat it? _

"What is it?" Goten asked innocently, his brow furrowed in confusion. "Did I make the toast right?"

Marron didn't want to make him feel bad, "Well, yes, you made it just like anyone would make toast..." _Except you usually don't nuke it too..._

"I've never really made breakfast before," Goten admitted, a bit of pink rising to his cheeks. "Mom usually makes it at home."

"I can see that," Marron muttered, lifting the piece of toast in her hand. She raised it to her mouth and attempted to take a bite out of it. Nothing happened. The toast was too hard for her teeth to break into. She sat there, looking like an idiot trying to eat a slice of burnt toast that wouldn't break apart.

"Is it that bad?" Goten asked with a disappointing frown.

"No, no!" Marron reassured him, laying the toast back on the plate, the slice still intact. "I just---uhm---I just," _How can I say it?_

"What?" Goten pressed, his face looking more and more withered.

"It's just that...," Marron began. _It's just that this isn't toast, it's burnt cardboard! _But Marron couldn't say that; she knew he had tried really hard to make breakfast for her. "Listen, Goten. I know you worked very hard on this, and I appreciate it a lot. More than you could ever know, but it's just that--"

"You don't like toast, do you?" Goten burst in, his face a sad frown.

_Thank you, lord! Saved! _Marron screamed in her mind, "That's it! Yes, I'm afraid I've never really enjoyed toast that much, to tell you the truth."

Goten let out a sigh of relief, "Oh, that's okay then." _That's a relief! I could have really screwed up! _"For a second there, I thought you weren't going to eat it because I did a bad job making it."

Marron gulped loudly, leaning back in her seat, feeling slightly guilty. She looked over at the other pieces of toast lying beside Goten; at least a dozen slices. "Goten, I'm so sorry you went to all this trouble for me." She suddenly felt very bad about the whole ordeal. _He did do this all for ME..._

"It's okay," Goten said, a small childish smile on his face, "more for me!" He reached over and went to take a bite out of a slice of toast. There was a loud CRUNCH! and the toast split in to several small pieces. Goten chewed the bit in his mouth slowly.

"Uh," Marron flinched at the crunching of the toast, "How is it?"

"Not bad," Goten replied thoughtfully, "A little burnt though."

Marron let out a giggle, "Well, you know," She said, rolling her eyes playfully. "That's to be expected sometimes." She still was in awe that he could take a bite out of it.

"You sure you don't want to try it?" Goten held out a piece to her.

Marron waved her hands in definate defiance, "Oh no, no! That's okay! I'm fine!" She said, sweat beading on her face.

"Okaaaay," Goten said slowly, offering it to her one more time, but she shoved it back towards him, and he shrugged and ate it.

Marron still felt guilty and wanted to make him feel better about the entire incident. "It was really sweet of you to do this for me, Goten."

Goten looked up and saw her staring at him with very soulful, sensual eyes. He had never seen that look on her face before, nor felt this odd about it. His stomach suddenly had butterflies, and he didn't feel as hungry as usual. "Uhm, that's alright," Was all he could manage.

"Still," Marron said sweetly, "You didn't have to go to all this trouble."

Goten had never noticed how blue her eyes really were until that moment, "It's okay, I'm fine with it," He couldn't look away from her face, "If you want, I could fix you breakfast every morning--"

"No, no!" Marron yelped, jumping up out of her seat. "I mean, that's okay," She said more calmly, "I can cook the rest of the week."

"I just figured you wouldn't feel as good this morning and wanted to fix you some breakfast so you wouldn't have to."

Marron had just remembered the events of the night past. To her surprise, it seemed her headache was vanishing. "Actually I feel alot better now."

"Well that's good!" Goten said, a smile spreading across his face, happy she wasn't sick or anything.

"How come you aren't sick or have a hangover?" Marron asked curiously, raising an eyebrow.

"Saiyans apparently don't get hangovers, or at least ones that last long," Goten shrugged, eating the last slice of toast.

Marron didn't know what to be more amazed of: the fact that Saiyans were unable to get hangovers, or the fact that he'd eaten over a dozen slices of that nasty burnt toast. "That's...amazing!" She said with a hesitant smile.

"I know!" Goten said with a bit more enthusiasm, standing up and taking the empty plate to the sink.

Marron watched him with an amused grin. _He's so much like a child at times, and yet at the same time so mature...Goten, you are a mystery..._She walked up beside him and, without really thinking about it or planning it, planted a kiss on his cheek.

Goten reeled for a second in wonder and shock. Her lips were soft and warm on his cheek, and his heart seemed to speed up another beat or two after the lips had left his face. "Marron?" Goten asked sheepishly after a second's silence.

"Well the apron did say "kiss me" on it, didn't it?" Marron said with a playful smile.

"Uh," Goten was unsure of what to say. "What do you want to do?" _What now?_

Marron looked out the window at the beautiful sunshine outside, "Let's go take a walk along the beach shall we?" There was a sly grin on her face.

Goten stared at her for a minute in amazement and then watched as she started to walk out the door. She turned back to him, her face still smiling. "Are you going outside with me or not?" She asked with a questioning look.

Goten suddenly beamed and followed her out the door, "Coming!" _Marron, you are a mystery..._

_**SO how was it? I liked writing this chapter as well! Next chapter, It's mainly about Marron and Goten's day on the beach at the Roshi house, doing some personal discovery and finding out more about each other...and someone's on to Bra and Uub! Please keep reviewing guys, and telling me your thoughts! You guys are the reason I write this story! LOL, this bud's for you!**_

_**Romania Black**_


	12. Day Two, Perfect

The Taming of the Saiyan

By Romania Black

_**Well, summer's been going great for me. Busy, but great! Now on to Chapter Twelve! One more update before I'm gone for the week!**_

_**Disclaimer: Okay, I own nothing of Akira Toriyama, but if he DID want to use any of my ideas...well, uh, GO FOR IT! LOL**_

_**Oh, and of course, still rated T for Teen, due to some sexual themes, brief language, alcohol references, and some mild violence...**_

_**Reviews:**_

**_Sinful Sakura: Thanks for the review! Goten isn't the world's greatest cook, but we love him anyway, don't we? LOL, and yes Bra is reaaaallly stuck up. Only time will tell if Uub can change her ways...(yeah right)..._**

**_Mr. J Everyday: Hey, welcome to the story, man! Thanks for reviewing! wow, that WOULD be funny! Bra's pretty convinced that daddy won't mind, but who knows...we'll have to wait and see! Hope you enjoy the story!_**

**_Kumori Ookami: Wow, my first admittingly obsessed fan! screams and runs around room flailing arms YAY! I'm soooo flattered you'd say something so wonderful to me! don't worry, I'll update as often and soon as I can! Please don't do anything rash while you're waiting! LOL, thanks so much for the review!_**

_**Thanks a million for the reviews, you guys! You have made my day so many times its unreal! Peace out and enjoy the story!**_

_**Romania Black**_

Chapter Twelve: Day Two, Perfect

The warm sunshine filtered onto the beach as Goten and Marron walked alongside each other, hand not in hand, but they were close to one another nonetheless. The breeze whipped through Marron's shoulder-length blonde hair and out towards the sea to their right. Goten had his arms behind his back, walking as if also stretching at the same time, his face pensive. The two hadn't said a whole lot for a while since they'd came out; the wonderful weather had been so glorious that it seemed to draw their attention away from conversation with one another.

After a few moments of silence, Goten turned his head towards Marron, eager for conversation. "So, nice day isn't it?"

"Yes," Marron smiled. "I'm glad we came out here." She smiled and turned away flirtatiously. Goten gave her a curious glance.

"Me too," He was taken by surprise by her flirtatiousness. _What is she up to?_

"You know," Marron sighed sweetly, "It would be nice to live out here. On the beach, and all, with the sun shining on us every day."

"Until it stormed," Goten said matter-of-factly.

Marron gave him a sudden sharp look, "It doesn't storm all the time," She said with a smaller smile.

"But it doesn't shine all day either," Goten offered with a dry grin. Marron nodded, her face brightening up a bit more.

"I suppose you're right, but it'd still be nice to live here."

"Yeah, I guess it would," Goten finally agreed, nodding his head gently. His mother had always taught him to never anger any woman or make her mad, and he'd seen the effects of making a woman mad: his mother was a prime example.

"What's wrong?" Marron asked him, staring at his pensive face. Goten tried to hide his frown with a smile, but to no avail.

"What are you talking about?" He asked with a reassuring smile, "Nothing's wrong!"

"You looked troubled," Marron said softly, placing a hand on his arm. A tingle rose up to his shoulder and Goten felt a chill go all the way down him.

"It's nothing," Goten smiled, realizing she thought he was upset, "I was just thinking about something my mom always told me and Gohan."

"Oh," Marron asked, her eyes lighting up in surprise, "What was that?"

Goten blushed, "She said we should never make a woman angry, or put her in the position to be angry."

Marron actually started laughing, "Really?" She giggled, "That's funny, I could see Chi Chi saying that!"

"Mom is really odd at times," Goten admitted, "I really honestly don't know how dad put up with her sometimes..." His voice trailed off reminiscently.

Marron nodded, "I guess he loved her, and was used to her craziness," she sighed, "Mom and dad used to get into it a lot."

"Really?" Goten never suspected that 18 and Krillin would argue; they always seemed so happy together.

"Well, they don't too much anymore," She sighed, looking towards the ocean, "Just when I was little. It was over stupid stuff too."

"Wow, I always thought they were perfect together," Goten said with a frown, looking down at Marron.

"They are perfect together," Marron said a little bitterly, her large blue eyes focusing back onto Goten's face, "All couples argue and fight; it's just the natural order of things. No one is perfect," She smiled up at him, but his face was clouded as she said this. "What is it now?" She asked him curiously.

Goten didn't say anything at first, his mind wandered back into the past several years prior to that afternoon. Her words had sparked a memory from his mind and into his subconscious.

_"No one is perfect, Goten."_

_Gohan was looking over him as he lay on his back on the ground. Gohan was frowning, his face stern. Goten, four or five, stood up quickly and dusted his pants off, obvious dissapointment etched on his face._

_"I will be!" He shouted, his face contorting in anger._

_"No you won't," Gohan sighed, shaking his head. "No one is perfect. Not me, or you, or even dad is perfect."_

_"Don't say his name!" Goten yelled, his fists ramming into Gohan's chest. "Don't say it!"_

_"Calm down Goten!" Gohan shouted, pushing his younger brother away. "I'm his son too, you know! I can say his name if I want--"_

_"You've known him all your life!" Goten screamed, tears forming in his eyes, "I've never even met him!" _

_Gohan frowned sympathetically and grasped Goten's shoulders as he knelt beside him, "It's okay, Goten," He said softly, "It's okay."_

_"I want to see him!" Goten whimpered, tears now flowing freely down his cheeks, "I want to have a dad like Trunks does!" _

_The older brother Gohan smiled slightly, and raised Goten's head up to meet his, "You do have a dad, Goten. Goku is a real person and he's your father."_

_"But I never see him!" Goten cried. "I've never seen him!"_

_"Mom has pictures of dad all over the house--"_

_"It's not the same!" Goten shouted and pulled away from Gohan. "It's not fair that you've seen him!"_

_"I can't help that Goten," Gohan shook his head and looked up into the air, an angry face cast towards the sky, as if mad that his father had left him as well. "No one could," He looked down at his brother, "Dad did what he had to do to save us all."_

_"I'm going to get strong like you and him," Goten yelled at Gohan, "I'm going to be perfect like you two!"_

_Gohan smiled weakly, "I'm not perfect, and neither was dad, Goten."_

_"Well," Goten paused, his voice quieting, "I'm still going to be as strong as you two!"_

_"That's fine, Goten, just remember this," Gohan said simply, leading his brother away with him, "No one is perfect."_

_"Not even Trunk's dad?" Goten said with a small frown. "He told me and Trunks he was!"_

_Gohan laughed out loud, "No, not even Vegeta is perfect, Goten!" And he laughed some more as the two faded away..._

Goten snapped out of his reminescent moment and found himself staring at the ocean. Marron was looking up at him with the strangest look on her face; one of mingled confusion and amusement. Goten realized he'd been daydreaming, and his face grew redder.

"Uhm, sorry about that," he blushed.

"I was trying to get you to snap out of whatever trance you were in just now for the last five minutes," Marron said, an eyebrow raised.

"You said something that reminded me of an old memory," Goten said with a sigh, "Sorry."

"It's okay," Marron shrugged, smiling skeptically, "Do you normally have flashbacks like that and go into trances for random periods of time?"

Goten had never thought of that, "Well, I'm not quite sure to be honest." He saw Marron have a fit of giggles, and his face felt even hotter than before. "No one's ever snapped me out of one before." His mind suddenly reeled at the thought that he'd been having these flashbacks for some time now and never known it.

"Well, I'll make sure and snap you out of it when you start to go in a trance again, okay?" Marron said with a soft smile and looked ahead of them.

"Thanks," Goten managed to get out, his voice cracking slightly as he said it.

Marron giggled and took off into ahead of him, her feet kicking up sand. She was twirling her legs in the sand and dancing on the beach as he'd never seen her before. She stopped just a few feet ahead of him and looked back, giggling and looking slightly embarrassed.

"What on earth was that?" Goten said, his mouth hanging open. He'd never seen her sway her hips in that rhythm before.

"Stupid, huh?" Marron said, biting her lip.

"I don't know," Goten said, his head cocked sideways, "Is it supposed to be stupid?"

"I'm not sure," Marron blushed, kicking the sand with her feet. "I wanted to do dance in school, but mom was completely against it, so I kind of trained myself."

"Wow," Goten was a bit impressed by how good she'd seemed out on the sand a few minutes ago. "It wasn't bad, that's for sure. You're self taught?"

"Yeah," Marron admitted, walking towards Goten.

"Could you teach me a step or two," Goten smiled, stopping as she stopped next to him.

Marron giggled and smiled slyly, "Sure. Place you hand here," She grasped his wrist and let it fall on her side. "On my hip, Goten," She explained. Goten had a small amount of difficulty finding her hip bone, she was so petite, but he managed to locate it and his hand laid gently upon it. "Okay, now grab my other hand," She placed her hand in his and a warm sensation crept up his arm. "Now we shuffle in a circle, slowly letting the circle grow wider and wider," The two circled each other hand in hand, until they'd almost become an arms' length apart, their hands no longer on each other's hips, but they're other hands still held tight within one another.

"This is...interesting," Goten said nervously. He was certainly glad that they were on the beach away from the public's eye and alone with each other, or he may have been too embarrassed to have danced with her.

"You're a natural!" Marron exclaimed, her face beaming. "Are you sure you've never had lessons?"

"Positive," Goten said in more of a mumble than a word, his eyes still on Marron. The sunlight was bouncing off her swirling blonde hair, and her blue eyes suddenly seemed to hold Goten to her. _There's something about her...I can't place it..._

Suddenly, Marron let go of his hand and twirled away from him, her feet stirring in the sand. "That was fun, wasn't it?"

"We're done already?" Goten said in a very whiny voice.

"What?" Marron eyed him oddly. "You want to dance some more?" There was a bit of a laugh in her voice.

Goten was unsure why he'd objected to Marron letting him go, "No, it's just that--" He couldn't seem to find the right words to say.

"I just figured that being the macho guy you are," She raised an eyebrow to this, "That you'd think dancing was silly or something."

"It's not silly when I dance with you," Goten blurted out. As soon as he said it though, he covered his mouth in shock. _Why did I say that? Why? What's up with me? _

Marron looked beside herself in surprise. She'd never expected that. "Oh, I see," She stammered, walking towards him. "And if you dance with anyone else?" Her blue gaze suddenly locked onto Goten's dark eyes.

Goten gulped, his heart skipping a beat, "I've never really danced with anyone else..." _And don't plan to!_

"Uh huh," Marron was now right against him, her hand on his chest. Goten felt his stomach tangling in knots...

"Uh...so...," Goten said with an awkward glance down at her. _What is she doing? _

"So is such an overused word," Marron said in a soft whisper, her face slowly growing closer to his.

Goten could count every lash on her eyes; and he wasn't used to that at all. As she grew closer, Goten's mind raced frantically. _Is she going to kiss me? Surely she's about to...okay, this isn't bad...this is what you want, Goten, this is what you want..._

_But what if I do it wrong? _Another voice inside his head yelled back into his mind. _What if you miss? Or if you drool on her? Do you want to get drool all over her face? Or course not!_

_So what do I do? _Goten thought in a panic, her face growing closer by the second, _I can't just block her away!_

_Or can you? _The other voice in his head hissed in reply.

Marron was about two inches from Goten's face when Goten decided that he couldn't kiss Marron yet...not on the lips anyway. Fear of messing the situation up or turning it into a disaster flooded his mind to an unbreakable point of insanity. So doing what Goten had been always known to do, he hatched an ingenious plan to stop the kiss.

Without really thinking this ingenious plan over in his head first, Goten grabbed Marron's arms at the last second and thrust her into the ocean. About half a second later, he realized what a horrible idea his ingenious plan had been. Arms flailing, Marron fell into the water about five feet off shore. Goten gasped and ran out into the water to get her.

_YOU IDIOT! _Goten screamed at himself, _YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW IF SHE CAN SWIM OR NOT! THAT WAS A BRILLIANT PLAN THERE, SPUD! NOW SHE'S GOING TO DROWN!_

Goten was up to his waist in water, and realized that they were still on the islands' sandbar. He reached Marron and pulled her up out of the water, relieved that it hadn't been deeper than that. _You got lucky, man. If we had been out in the ocean a little more..._

"I'm so sorry, Marron!" Goten apologized over and over, trying to help her back to shore. Her hair was tangled and in her face, her pajamas wet and stuck to her. Goten tried not to look at her as they made it back towards the house, afraid of what thoughts would run rampant in his mind.

"G--G--Goten," Marron sputtered, "Why did you--why did you do that?" She spat out water as she said this.

"I don't know, I don't know!" Goten groaned, as they reached the shore. "I was too scared to kiss you, I guess." Now Goten felt both dumb and embarrassed. He looked at Marron with a guilty expression.

Marron looked at Goten for a moment with a blank face, then her face split into a grin. "You were scared to kiss me?"

"Well, I've gotten bad reviews from other critics, let's say that!" Goten burst out, offended.

Marron frowned playfully, "Oh? And how many other critics have there been?"

Goten's eyes widened and he looked away, "I don't remember," he lied.

Marron gazed at him with a sly smile for a moment, "I see, then," And as she took a step forward, her foot slipped and she toppled over with a loud SPLASH! and she was in the water again. "Ow!" Marron shouted, reaching for her backside.

"Are you okay?" Goten asked immediately, bending down to see if she was alright. Marron winked at him and grabbed his ankle and thrusted it towards her, causing him to fall into the ocean with her with a loud splash as well.

"Ah!" Goten gasped, staring in shock at her. Marron was laughing in the water, holding her ribs she was laughing so hard. "What's so funny?" Goten asked with a stern look, wiping a speck of seaweed off his face.

Marron stopped laughing and crossed her arms and gave him a playful look, "All the power of a Super Saiyan in your grasp? And all I have to do is grab your ankle and you topple into the sea?" She laughed and wrapped her arms around his waist that was in the ocean.

Goten gave her a nervous glance, "Marron, is this smart?"

"Why isn't it?" She looked at him with that blue stare that put him almost in a trance.

"I think I just told you," The demi-Saiyan said with a frown. But despite his warnings, Marron leaned in closer.

"You think I'm scared of you, Goten?" Marron said now in almost a whisper.

"What?" Goten was confused. "Uh, no, not really."

"Are you scared of me?" She whispered to him, her face closer to his yet.

Goten didn't think so, but there was a fierceness in her eyes that somewhat gave him chills, "I don't think so."

"Then, what are you nervous about?" Marron asked him.

"I---I don't know for sure," Goten realized.

"Goten," Marron grasped his hand under the water, "You have nothing to be nervous about. I'm not afraid of a bad kisser." Her eyes were almost even with his.

"You're not?" Goten raised an eyebrow.

"Are you?" She asked him.

"Why? Are you a bad kisser?" Goten said with a stutter.

"One way to find out," Marron whispered and squeezed Goten's hand tight.

Suddenly her lips locked with his and the two held each others hands as they kissed. Goten had never kissed someone with so much fire and passion as her. The other girls he'd kissed had been disastrous pecks on the lips at best, but she was anything but pecking his lips. Goten was against the whole tongue-down-your-throat thing, and was happy that she didn't stick hers in very far. He'd had a bad experience with that one time, and didn't want to reexperience it. His heart was racing as they were together, his skin icy and hot at the same time, the smell of some sort of indistinct perfume still steaming from her neck. The sunlight on his shoulders, the cool water around them, the entire moment perfect. He never wanted to forget it or let it slip away.

Perhaps it was an eternity that they were there, their lips locked in a moment of true love. Maybe it wasn't even a minute, but nonetheless, the moment lasted forever in Goten's mind. He could have never predicted anything better than that one moment of his first "true" kiss. After what seemed like forever the two let go of each other's lips and stared into their eyes.

"Wow...," was all Goten could muster.

Marron didn't say anything, but the blush on her face was an equivalent to the same.

"Was I that bad?" Goten said with a smirk.

"You were, uh," Marron blushed even more, "Let's just say that those were some lousy critics!" Her smile was as radiant as the sun.

"So I wasn't bad?" Goten was surprised, and even moreso happy at this turn of events. _It wasn't a disaster! I wasn't that bad!_

"You were more than fine," Marron said, the remnants of pink staying on her cheeks.

Goten suddenly felt his chest swell up in pride, excited and with a boost of confindence in him.

"And me?" Marron said meekly.

"You were...wow, Marron!" Goten exclaimed. "I can't describe it!"

Marron's face turned red, "Oh," She said with a squeaky voice. "Well, I can't say I've had as many critics as you..."

"That's a good thing," Goten smiled. He suddenly felt the urge to get closer to her.

"What now?" She asked him, her messy tangled hair still had the smell of salt on it.

"We don't have to go in just yet," Goten smiled, pulling her arm and leading her up towards the shore some more until they were out of the water.

"Of course we don't," Marron smiled, "It's just noon."

"Well, let's lie here on the beach and we can talk some more," Goten said sweetly, as he lay on the shore next to her.

She rested her head on her elbow and looked at him. In that moment, Goten knew he loved her more than anything in the world, and that was an amazing feeling. He smiled and took her hand.

"Wow, this is the second day we've been here," He looked into her eyes, "And already..."

"Already what?" Marron asked curiously, but in her heart she knew the answer.

"I'm falling for you," He said softly. Marron was beat red as he said this.

"Are you sure?" She asked him with a hint of seriousness.

"One way to find out," Goten smiled and leaned in and kissed her again. The two were in each others embrace on the sand, locked in their passionate kisses, the two would-be friends now finding something in each other they'd not thought existed. Goten smiled as he kissed Marron and in his mind, his brother's words echoed in his thoughts,

_No one is perfect._

But Goten was sure that his brother was wrong, because as he looked into the ocean blue eyes of the woman beside him, Goten knew that in reality, there was someone that was perfect, and she was sitting beside him now, looking soulfully into his eyes.

_You were wrong, Gohan, _Goten thought as he kissed her again on the sand, _Marron IS perfect. _

_**Hey how was it? I meant it to be longer, but I'm leaving tommorrow for a week and wanted to update before I went! Thanks a million for the reviews so far guys! As soon as I get back I'll be writing again! NExt Chapter, Goten and Marron have some more fun, and someone's onto Bra and Uub's secret relationship! Thanks you guys! Peace out and Rock Rock on!**_

_**Romania Black**_


	13. Day Two, First Fight

The Taming of the Saiyan

By Romania Black

_**Yay, I'm back! While I was gone, I was thinking of how I could do the next chapter and lay it out..well I have some ideas that I think are going to be interesting, so we'll have to see about that! LOL, also on a side note, saw Pirates of the Caribbean 2...I thought it was good, don't know about anyone else! LOL but anywhoo, I thought last chapter went rather well, and now onto Chapter Thirteen! Yay!**_

_**Disclaimer: Okay, I own nothing of Akira Toriyama, but if he DID want to use any of my ideas...well, uh, GO FOR IT! LOL**_

_**Oh, and of course, still rated T for Teen, due to some sexual themes, brief language, alcohol consumption, and some mild violence...**_

_**Reviews:**_

**_Kumori Ookami: It's okay! I'm back! LOL, I know, a whole week waiting on something is harsh! But I still appreciate the review! _**

**_Sinful Sakura: Thanks, I had a good week! reads review I know! I want to smother little chibi Goten with kisses too! I loooove all the episodes of him as a kid! LOL, Marron and Goten are so sweet together, aren't they! LOL, thanks for the review, and hope you enjoy the story! _**

**_Witch of Erie Knoll: Wow, thanks! Glad to have you on board! I enjoyed writing the kiss scene between them, and you can expect more from where that came from! LOL, thanks for the review! Enjoy the story!_**

**_Tony: Thanks man! I'm planning on doing alot of the future chapters with just Marron and Goten, but for now I'm throwing in Bra and Uub and others because there are plots that are going to involve them that will carry into the Marron/Goten story. And I LOVED writing that flashback by the way! So much, that you can expect some more in the future! Thanks again for the review!_**

**_Killahcam: Thanks for the review! Yeah, things will DEFINATELY heat up in this story between those two. However, the romance will take a side step in this chapter...you'll see why shortly! LOL, thanks for the review and I hope you enjoy the story!_**

_**You guys are the greatest! I look forward to every review I get and you guys truly make my day so much! Thanks a Million, and I hope you enjoy the story! Peace out and rock, rock on!**_

_**Romania Black**_

Chapter Thirteen: Day Two, First Fight

"What do you want?" Uub asked her as he started towards the counter. Bra looked up at the menu with a bored frown.

"I don't know," She sighed, "I guess a double mocha latte with skim milk and substitute the whipped topping with soy low fat cream."

Uub stared at her for a moment, then stammered, "W--what?"

"You heard me," Bra said sternly, a frown forming on her ivory face. "Are you just going to stand there with your mouth gaped open drooling on everything, or are you going to get me my drink?" She sounded very much like Bulma.

Uub gave her a slightly angered frown and made his way towards the counter. _I was not drooling on anything! I can't help it she's so darn picky!_

"Can I help you?" The woman at the register looked less than enthused. Uub smiled at her curtiously and looked up at the menu trying to spot what Bra had ordered. He didn't see it anywhere. _Well that figures!_

"Can I HELP you?" The brunette at the register asked again impatiently.

"Uhmm, yes. I would like a double mocha latte...with, uhm...skim milk, that's it. And, err, some...low fat soy topping instead of the regular whipped cream...uh, and that's it." He looked questionably over to the cashier.

The woman gave him an annoyed glare, "It'll be $5.78."

"Uh, okay," Uub said innocently, pulling out the cash from his blue training pants. The woman took his money and disappeared behind the wall to the kitchen.

Uub sighed and waited a few moments until she reappered with his order. "Have a nice day," She said in almost a groan.

"Err, thanks," Uub said with a confused gesture. "You too."

Uub made his way to the table Bra had picked out for them, cleverly chosen at the back of the restaurant so that Uub had to walk past every table in the place to make it there. He set the drink down beside her and took a seat, his cheeks slightly pink. Bra took a slurp of the drink and shrugged indifferently.

"Well?" Uub asked impatiently.

"It'll do," Bra said bluntly. Uub looked around excitedly and then back to Bra.

"Why'd we have to sit all the way back here?" He asked her.

"Why wouldn't we?" Bra slurped her drink and eyed him curiously.

"I mean, there are seats up front, so why did you make me walk all the way back here past all those people?"

Bra put down her drink and a playfully evil smile lit up her face, "Well, duh. Don't you want everyone to see we're together?"

"Huh?" Uub raised an eyebrow.

"Come on, Uub. We're a couple now. We have to show off to everyone so they know too," She sipped some more of her drink, her smile still sly.

"Sounds like bragging," Uub said softly.

"Maybe it is," Bra smiled still. Uub had never truly seen it, but it was now apparent how much like her father she was. A braggart, aggressive and harsh at times. Yet, she still had her mother's beauty and fire. Uub realized he must have been staring at her, because she gave him a sour expression.

"What are you looking at?" She asked him angrily.

"You," Uub said quietly. He saw Bra's frown disappear and her cheeks blush.

Bra held her mouth open as if she was about to say something, but shut it and stared back at him. Then a smile registered on her face again.

"Say," Bra finally cut in after a moment's silence, "Let's go shopping tommorrow!"

"Why?" Uub didn't like the idea of shopping with Bra.

"Because, silly," Bra said girlishly, "I haven't been in a couple of days, it'll be fun!"

Uub didn't like this idea at all. _She's up to something... _"I don't know, Bra..."

"Oh come on!" Bra tugged his sleeve of his training uniform. "It'll be a blast!"

"Shopping? A blast?" Uub gave her an odd look. "Why tommorrow?"

"Because, dad's training tommorrow, so he won't be able to take me like he usually does! We can go and he won't notice!" Bra smiled cunningly.

"Is he not training today?" Uub was suddenly afraid that he was near them.

"No, he's resting. He trained hard yesterday, so he usually rests after a long haul," She was very congenial when she said this.

"I still don't like the idea of being that close to your home," Uub said nervously, "Your house isn't that far from it..."

"You're so paranoid," Bra said with an evil smile.

"No, I'm not!" Uub protested. "I just--"

"Go shopping with me," Bra snapped, her dark blue eyes suddenly fierce. "Okay? I just want you to go shopping with me, is that so much to ask?"

Uub sighed. Her eyes were fierce and demanding, and he wasn't about to make a mess out of the situation. "Sure." He said bluntly.

Bra suddenly smiled sweetly and stood up, "Well there you go, that's the spirit!"

"Are you ready to go?" Uub stood up, feeling very bad about the idea to go shopping already, and wishing tommorrow was already over.

"Yeah, drop me off at my car by the gym, okay?" Bra said throwing the empty mocha latte away into the trash bin.

Feeling slightly used, Uub smiled falsely, "Sure. Whatever you want..."

"I still think you're the better kisser," Goten smiled as the two lay propped against a palm tree beside the shore. The sunlight was starting to sink towards the west, as they lay hand in hand, staring out into the ocean. _Wow, no one could be as lucky as me right now..._

"Well, you're full of it," Marron giggled, smiling at Goten. It had been a pretty eventful afternoon, but nothing too out of hand. _Thank heavens..._

"For what?" Goten asked her startled.

"What?" Marron couldn't believe what he's just said. _Did he read my thoughts?_

"You said 'Thank heavens'. Thank heavens for what?" Goten turned his head to look at her.

"What?" She was right, "How were you able to read my thoughts?"

"Huh?" Goten suddenly blushed. "Were you thinking that?"

"The 'Thank heavens' part, yes!" Marron gave him a playful shove.

Goten's face was beat red, "I'm sorry! I thought you said it!"

Marron smiled in amazement. "I didn't know you could read thoughts!"

"Well, neither did I to be honest," Goten sighed, his face still red. "It just sort of happens sometimes..."

"So not all the time?" Marron asked him, her head against his shoulder. Goten smiled down at her.

"No," He then frowned pensively. "So why did you say 'Thank heavens'?"

"Oh, nothing much," Marron sighed, her face blushing, "I was just happy things stayed to just kissing, that's all."

Goten looked a little hurt, "What's that supposed to mean?" He shrugged her off his shoulder.

Marron gave him a fleeting look, "Well, I just don't want to do anything stupid yet, that's all."

"You think it's stupid?" Goten asked, surprised, a little bitterness in his voice.

"Not if you're married or bound together in some way!" Marron said with a snap.

"Well we are _technically_," Goten said with a frown, "That fruit binds us forever."

"But that's not like a marriage or anything," Marron said sadly.

"No, but we're still bound together!" Goten said strongly. Marron was shocked at how loud he'd gotten.

"This is ridiculous," She said sternly, looking away.

"When we were just 'pals' before all this Wollawong thing happened, you were thinking about it then!" Goten said angrily.

"_EXCUSE ME_?" Marron burst out. _What did he say! _

"Oh, come on, Marron! You wanted to then, you were just afraid to!" Goten crossed his arms. Marron stared at him with shock and rage.

"I did not! We were just joking around!" Marron said, her face beat red, her eyes damp.

"I didn't think so at the time," Goten admitted angrily, "I was just too tired to say anything else."

"Oh my...," Marron's eyes grew wide, "You mean? You--?"

"What?" Goten raised an eyebrow, wanting her to just spit it out, whatever she was going to say to him.

Hatred was etched on her soft features, creating a look that was similar to her mother's when angry, only scarier. "I can't believe you! You really thought we were going to do it?"

"Well, yeah, at the time, I did," Goten said simply.

Marron was angry almost beyond words. "You thought that we were going to...that night? You thought...Oh my gosh, Goten!" She exclaimed, standing up quickly. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

Goten stared up at her with an exasperated look. "You were the one teasing me!"

"WHAT!" Marron spun around towards him so fast that Goten fell over in surprise. "I WAS NOT TEASING YOU! I WOULD NEVER TEASE ANYONE! HOW DARE YOU, GOTEN! HOW DARE YOU EVEN _THINK _ALL THAT!" She kicked sand at him violently, causing it to land in his hair and face.

Goten sputtered and spit the sand out of his mouth, looking shocked and confused. By the time he'd gotten enough sand out of his face to see, Marron was already halfway to the Roshi house.

"Marron, wait!" Goten shouted after her, running to catch up. "Marron, I didn't mean to--"

But she'd slammed the door in his face. With a BANG, Goten fell to the ground, his face red from the impact with the door.

_Well, that was nicely played, _the voice in his head said with a sarcastic tone.

_Shut up, _Goten replied to the voice in his head and stood up. He reached for the knob to open the door. It was locked of course. _Figures..._Goten frowned and started beating on the door with his fist.

"Open the door, Marron!" He yelled. No answer. "Come on Marron, open up! I didn't mean it!" Still no answer. Goten let out a sad sigh and leaned on the door frame. _What do I do now?_

The other voice in his head answered his question, _You need to leave her alone. She's not going to want to talk to you for a while..._

_Where do I go? I'm on a stupid island in the middle of the ocean! _Goten thought stubbornly. He definately didn't want to go home...his mother would send him back faster than he could say "Hello."

Goten sat on the sand and pondered this for a moment. He could go to Gohan and Videl's...but he really didn't want to.

_I just need somewhere with someone I can talk to and let her cool off for a while..._

Then it hit him. Goten jumped up and leaned near the door. "Okay, Marron. I get it. I'll leave you alone for a while, but I'll be back okay?" Still no answer from inside the house. Goten sighed and started flying into the air.

_Don't worry Marron, I'll be back. But first I'll let you take some steam off here while I go and visit my good buddy..._

The Briefs house was unusually quiet as Trunks walked into the living room. It'd been a long day at work, and he'd expected to come home to a lot of the usual bickering and fussing, but that wasn't the case. Trunks laid his briefcase on the coffee table and walked into the kitchen. His mother Bulma was reading the gossip column of the newspaper.

"Hey, mom," Trunks said with a surprised glance.

"Hi, hun," Bulma smiled to him, as she turned back to the paper.

"Where is everybody?" The Demi-Saiyan asked looking around the room in curiousity.

"Well, your father's in the resting downstairs. He trained all day yesterday and wants to train tommorrow so he's getting caught up on some rest he's missed lately," Bulma explained.

"So that's why it's so quiet," Trunks said with an amused smile. Bulma eyed him with a grin, but didn't reply to his statement. Trunks looked around again, "But where's Bra then?"

"To be honest, I'm not sure, Trunks," Bulma sighed, looking over at the counter, a note pinned to the door. "When I came home yesterday there was a note saying she was spending the night with her friends, but that's all it said. I haven't seen her all day." She looked up and saw her son's worried expression, "But I'm sure they're just out and about, you know," She said reassuringly.

Trunks frowned, "When did she leave? I didn't see her hardly at all yesterday."

"I don't know," Bulma folded the newspaper and placed it in front of her. "Don't worry about it, Trunks. She's a big girl and can handle herself!"

"I know," Trunks said, trying to reassure himself that everything was okay, but there was still a feeling in his gut that something wasn't right.

"Are you okay, son?" Bulma asked him, a concerned look on her face. "You're awfully pale."

Trunks realized that he was worrying his mother, "Oh, I'm fine, mom. It's nothing...just the stress from work today," he lied.

"Oh, okay, hun," Bulma smiled softly, her face full of relief, "Well, there's some drinks in the fridge if you want one."

Trunks smiled, _My mom is the greatest, _"Thanks, mom, I'll get one and sit up on the roof. Call me if you need anything."

"Okay," Bulma smiled with a yawn, "I think I'll turn in for the night. I take it you've already ate?"

"Had some food on the way home," Trunks smiled as his mother nodded and left the room. Reaching into the refridgerator, he pulled out four bottles of beer and walked outside. He then flew up to the rooftop and sat on the tiled slanted roof.

The sun was starting to set, the purple and pink sky before him. Trunks sighed, looking at the stars starting to appear in the darkening sky.

_Not the most comfortable place to sit, but the view makes up for it, _Trunks thought with a smile. As he popped the top on one of the beers, a strange light, like a star in the distance, was seen flying towards him.

_Wha--_ Then a small jolt hit Trunks' gut and he smiled, registering the Ki impulse that the figure speeding towards him was sending off. _What's he coming here for? _He thought with a curious smile.

Soon the star reached Trunks and he could make out the figure even in the fading sunlight. Goten hovered above Trunks and then landed on the roof with little effort. Trunks lifted his bottle to Goten,

"Cheers," The Demi-Saiyan smiled.

"Hey, Trunks," Goten replied a little breathlessly, "Long time no see."

"Didn't think I'd be seeing you for a while either," Trunks said with a cunning grin, "How are you and the soon-to-be newlywed doing?" He took a sip of his drink with a smirk.

"Well, that's kind of why I'm here," Goten said, his cheeks turning pink.

"What?" Trunks sat up in his seating. "What'd you do?" He scanned Goten's face for any emotion; there were too many to distinguish one from the other. Goten tried to remain unreadable. "Go ahead and tell me, you might as well," Trunks gave him an serious look, "You were never good at hiding your emotions."

Goten felt his cheeks burning with guilt. "We got into a fight," He said in almost a whisper.

Trunks stared at him for a moment in silence. Then with a sharp laugh, reached for a bottle next to him and handed it to Goten.

"What's so funny?" Goten said bitterly.

"Everyone gets into fights, Goten. Everyone, every couple. It's nothing new," He smiled, taking a sip from his own bottle. "My parents fight every day!"

Goten popped the top on his and took a swig, "I've dated girls before and we've gotten into squabbles, but this time...I don't know Trunks. This time I felt horrible after all I said to her. I've never seen Marron so mad before..."

"Really? How mad was she?" Trunks asked with a curious amusement look on his face.

"She slammed the door in my face and wouldn't answer me when I tried and talked to her," Goten groaned, sitting beside Trunks on the roof.

Trunks seemed a bit disappointed, but hid it well with another sip of his drink, "Oh, I see. What did you two get into it about?"

"Well," Goten flushed slightly, feeling embarrassed. "We'd had this _great _day on the beach, and everything was _perfect_..."

"Go on," Trunks said with a smile, slightly anxious for details.

"I'm not telling you what all we did!" Goten exclaimed, but a gently smile took over his face, "but it was wonderful..."

"Get on with it," Trunks said with a smile, waving his hand with a gesture that suggested that he should get on with the story.

"Anyway, she brings up the fact that she was glad that things," Goten paused to word everything right, "didn't escalate as far as they could have."

"Ah," Trunks nodded, sipping his drink, "So you and her didn't--"

"No," Goten interupted, "Well, we got into this discussion on if something like that did happen..."

"And?"

"She started going on about how she wouldn't until she was married, and all that jazz, and how if we weren't bound together, it wouldn't be right," Goten took another large slurp of his drink.

"I thought you were bounded together by that fruit thing," Trunks said with a raised eyebrow. Goten nodded vigorously.

"So did I! That's what I told her, but she blew up and said it wasn't the same and that she'd never wanted to do that in the first place...but I thought she had...and so it just went from there, I guess," Goten sighed and took another drink.

Trunks looked at his almost empty bottle, "So what broke the straw on the camel's back?" He looked to Goten, "What made her slam the door in your face?"

Goten sighed, "I called her a tease."

"_WHAT_?" Trunks exclaimed, his bottle sailing off the roof and into the bushes, "Goten, why'd you call her that?"

"Well, she'd been acting like one!" Goten said with an angry look.

"That doesn't mean you call her one!" Trunks said with an amazed look on his face. "If I'd called any of my dates that, they'd have left me then and there!"

"Which they usually do anyway," Goten smiled slyly to Trunks.

Trunks frowned, offended, then opened another beer bottle, "The only reason my dates end up leaving is because the first time they meet my father he scares them all off." He then smiled, reminescently remembering more than one humorous occasion when this had happened.

Goten had his face in his hands, frustrated, "I don't know what to do, man. I didn't mean to make her mad or anything, it just came out like that..."

"Well, do you still like the girl?" Trunks said with a sip of his drink.

"Of course," Goten didn't have to think about it at all.

"Well, then let her cool her jets for a little while and then do something really nice for her and apologize for being such a perverted dumbass and maybe she'll take you back," Trunks gave Goten a sly cunning grin as he said this. "If she still wants to be with you after that, she's the one for you, no doubt."

"Has that ever worked for you?" Goten asked hesitantly.

"Nope," Trunks smiled.

"Well, that's boosting my confidence on the matter a lot, Trunks!" Goten shouted, the bottle shaking in his hand.

"Hey, I already said why I can't keep a date," He shook his head, "Nothing I said was going to help it after they'd been with dad for more than ten seconds!"

"I can see your point," Goten said with a smile, taking a sip of his drink, not sure what to talk about now. _I should apologize to her...I owe her that at least..._

"Still can't believe it," Trunks said with a sigh, leaning back.

"What?" Goten said with his head tilted sideways in curiousity.

"That you're getting married!" Trunks said with an excited laugh. "My best bud, married!"

Goten shook his head, frowning a little, "We're not going to get married yet."

"But you will eventually, right?" Trunks pressed.

Goten gave a very Goku-like smile, "Well, I hope so. That is if she'll forgive me for all this that's happened..."

"She will, don't worry," Trunks smiled reassuringly, "You don't have a psychotic genocidal father...you'll be fine."

Goten laughed the first true laugh he'd had since the fight with Marron, "You think?"

"Positive," brushing his lavender hair with his hand, Trunks laid the second empty bottle down beside him. "Actually, I almost had dad convinced to come hang out with us last time you were here."

"You're joking!" Goten burst out laughing, shocked and amazed. _Vegeta hang out with us?_

"No fooling," Trunks smiled then crossed his arms behind his head, "He was thinking about it, but decided not to at the last moment. I figure eventually he'll get lonely and want to hang out with us guys and all."

"That'd be interesting," Goten said as he stood up. He sighed and laid his empty bottle beside Trunks.

"You're going back already?" Trunks lifted an eyebrow.

"I think I'll go and get some stuff to fix her for breakfast, and then apologize to her in the morning. That sounds good anyway," Goten smiled and scratched the back of his head. He hoped it would work anyway; she seemed to like his cooking skills.

"You make breakfast?" Trunks was surprised. He didn't think Goten had ever made his own food.

"I dabble in it a bit," Goten said with a little bit of a bragging sway to his voice. Trunks looked mildly impressed.

"Wow, didnt' know that," He said amazed. He reached beside him and pulled out the last bottle with him. "Want one for the road?"

"Nah," Goten smiled. "I think I'll just fly home with one in me, thanks."

"I wouldn't have offered it to you if you'd been driving," Trunks said with a shrug.

"That's okay. Say, if you see Bra, tell her I said hi, okay?" Goten started off, but Trunk's voice stopped him.

"Why you want to say hi to your ex?" The Demi-Saiyan asked curiously.

"Just to let her know I'm still around. See ya, Trunks!" Goten said with a smile, and then flew off into the distance. Trunks waved goodbye and watched him until he was no more than a speck in the black sky.

Popping the top on his last bottle, Trunks stared off into the distance, and the city lights and the stars overhead. He still couldn't believe that his own best friend, the closest thing to a brother he'd ever known, was getting married. Maybe not now, but eventually, getting married.

_"Now all you have to do is find you a girl like Goten did!" _

Bulma's voice echoed into his mind. But Trunks knew that his father wouldn't allow him to date just anyone. Not yet, anyway. He could hear his father's voice in his ears.

_"No pathetic earthling is going to marry my son, the Prince of Saiyans! It's completely disgusting to even imagine it!" Vegeta said with a sneer._

_"But who's he going to marry that isn't an earthling, Vegeta?" Bulma said impatiently. _

_"When I find her, woman, I'll tell you!" He shouted back to her._

_Bulma sighed, "I'm not getting any younger you know! I'd like a grandchild sometime before I die!"_

_Vegeta let out a snort of frustration, "You're starting to sound like Kakarott's wife!"_

_"Her name is CHI CHI, Vegeta!" Bulma screamed, and soon the two were arguing over the Son family, as Trunks sat between them, looking mortified... _

Trunks smiled as the memory ended, his eyes turning to the bottle in his hand. Just then a pair of headlights appeared on the road towards their house. The Demi-Saiyan looked closer at the car and his eyes grew wide, it was Bra's car.

Trunks sat up and grabbed the three bottles beside him and retreated to the other side of the roof, where Bra wouldn't be able to see him. As he looked over the tip top of the roof, he could make out her shadow and the blue glow of the cell phone she was talking on. His Saiyan hearing wasn't as good as a Namek's would have been, but as loud as his sister talked, it wasn't hard to hear her.

"That's what I was thinking, Kirsti!" Bra said in a girlish voice as she started walking towards the sidewalk to their house. Trunks' eyes followed her every move. "I know! I know! So, I was thinking about shopping tommorrow...and yeah, Uub's coming too! I know, he's such a dear! He's agreed to the whole thing! Now, I know that Goten wasn't into the whole mall thing at all, but Uub is soooo much better than him, you will not believe! What? Oh yeah, I can do that! Sure! I'll see you tommorrow, okay! Bye!" With that, Bra hung up the phone and made her way inside the house.

Trunks stood in the shadows of the roof for several moments, his face etched in the darkness, and his eyes wide in surprise. The one would that escaped his lips was more of a whisper than a word, and Trunks knew that the situation with his sister had gone from bad to worse.

"_Uub_?"

_**So, how was it? I just got back yesterday and started on this chapter as soon as I did! I was pretty happy with how it turned out. You guys deserved an update after waiting so long. So what did you think? Will Marron forgive Goten? What about Trunks and his knowledge of Bra and Uub? **_

_**Hmm...well stick around, because next chapter: Apologies are said, Trunks goes undercover, someone makes a surprise visit to the Roshi House, and we're going Shopping! YAY! **_

_**Thanks for all the reviews guys! YOU ROCK! ALL OF YOU! Please keep sending them in with your opinions on the story and suggestions if you have any! I'm open to helpful info if anyone has any too! Thanks so much! Peace out and rock ROCK ON!**_

_**Romania Black**_


	14. Day Three, Undercover Brother

The Taming of the Saiyan

By Romania Black

**_Hey guys! What's shakin? Chapter Fourteen, yay! This may be my last installment for a little while dodges the mass amounts of vegetables tossed Summer is incredibly busy for me, especially in July and August, and Friday, I'm leaving for possibly two weeks, SOB I know! But this chapter is really long, so maybe that helps! I'll try to get in one more chapter before I go. This one has a lot of stuff happening in it and sets up the next chapter. Hope you enjoy it!_**

_**Disclaimer: Okay, I own nothing of Akira Toriyama, but if he DID want to use any of my ideas...well, uh, GO FOR IT! LOL**_

_**Oh, and of course, still rated T for Teen, due to some sexual themes, brief language, alcohol consumption, and some mild violence...**_

_**Reviews:**_

**_Kumori Ookami: LOL, thank God I have a dedicated fan like you! LOL, thanks for the review! This chapter has quite a bit of Trunks in it, so there you go! I LOOOOVE Trunks too, so that's awesome..and yes, Trunks does like his beverages! LOL Hope you like this chapter!_**

**_Sinful Sakura: Hey thanks! LOL, I'd glomp Trunks ANYTIME! LOL, I love him to death! I'm glad the chapter turned out rather well too! The first fight cute? LOL, it was, just not to Goten and Marron! LOL, thanks for the review! Hope you enjoy Trunks' adventure in this chapter too! Oh, and we'll just have to see about Uub...heh heh..._**

**_Witch of Erie Knoll: Hey thanks! Trunks does have blackmail...but how long will it take until Daddy DOES find out? hmm...oh, and I'm super glad you're still lovin it! Hope this update was early enough for you!_**

_**You guys are the greatest! I look forward to every review I get and you guys truly make my day so much! Thanks a Million, and I hope you enjoy the story! Peace out and rock, rock on!**_

_**Romania Black**_

Chapter Fourteen: Day Three, Undercover Brother

Goten rubbed his eyes, sleepy still, but he knew he had to wake up before Marron. He had flown back to the Roshi house to find the door unlocked. Before he'd came back to the island however, he'd stopped at the 24-hour food mart and picked up a large quantity of breakfast items to fix for Marron. Fortunately, Chi Chi had given him some cash to spend for the week and the food barely spent half of his sum of money. When he had gotten back to the Roshi house, he'd gone in to find Marron asleep in Roshi's room. Trying not to wake her, Goten had fixed the biggest breakfast he could have ever imagined. After getting it all set up, Goten had taken a small power nap, sure the food would be hot for a while anyway. Now that he was awake, he supposed the best thing to do would be to wait.

_Please, Marron, _Goten whispered in his mind, _Please forgive me..._

Marron's eyes snapped open, as the sunlight filtered into her room. Her head not aching as it had a day previously, Marron sat up in her bed and instinctively looked beside her as if expecting Goten to be there. But he wasn't. Marron frowned, her eyes sadly looking at the empty place next to her.

_I was too harsh on him, _Marron thought with a sigh. _I had been a tease...He had every right to say what he did. And I chewed him out over it...How pathetic, _Marron placed a fist beside her pillow in slight anger with herself. _Mom would've already been slapping me around for being so stupid._

She'd waited for him all night, hoping he'd come back before she'd fell asleep. When he hadn't, she forced herself to go to bed and try to rest. Hoping he hadn't left her for good. _The way I yelled at him, I wouldn't be surprised if he had left me for good, _Suddenly she felt her eyes welling up in frustration in herself. Marron forced the clear drops back and slowly crawled out of bed.

_I should probably go and call him...or something like that---_

She stopped in her tracks when she saw the kitchen view. Her mouth dropped open in surprise.

Goten stood by the table, the KISS ME apron strapped proudly around his waist. The table was mounted with plates filled with bacon, buscuits, eggs, sausage, toast that wasn't quite burnt but dark brown nonetheless, juice in glasses, and toaster pastries. Everything looked like it had been cooked decently, nothing overly burnt or destroyed. Goten stared at Marron, a childishly apologetic grin on his face. He looked at her with a guilty stare. Marron already knew what was coming.

"Goten, all this--" Marron started, but Goten interupted her.

"I'm so sorry for what I said to you, Marron," Goten said suddenly, his eyes filled with guilt. "I was out of line."

"Goten, don't worry about it, I," she paused, walking towards Goten, her eyes scanning the floor. "I was the one out of line. I _had _teased you that night...you had every right..."

"Forget about that night," Goten said with a stern look. "It's in the past." A small smile was starting to form on his face.

Marron looked up at his dark eyes, and knew that all the argueing they'd had with each other was in the past and done. She grasped his hand in hers and for a moment, the warmth of the sunlight couldn't compare to the warmth in his hand alone in hers. Marron leaned towards him and a sly smile spread across her face.

"You know," She said playfully, twirling her finger in circles on his chest, "You can't just expect me to forgive you every time you fix me breakfast."

"I realize that," Goten said, smiling playfully back, "But then of course, there's always lunch, dinner, and maybe a dessert or two." With that he swept her in his arms in a very un-Goten like fashion and suavely kissed her on the lips. Marron had not expected such a strong reaction from him and was thrown off guard by it. They shared their passionate embrace for a moment that stopped time and when they finally released each other, Marron gave Goten a look of disbelief.

"Where...where did that come from?" She said with a breathless sigh.

"Too forward?" Goten said with a tilt of his head.

"No, no," Marron shook her head with a huge smile on her face, "Fantastic...just...unexpected!"

"Well," Goten blushed slightly, "I was kind of working up until the moment, and it all just came out at once, and uhm...," His eyes flashed to the food, "Want something to eat?"

Marron had just remembered the food was even there. "Oh, uh, yeah. Sure," She took a seat next to him. "Goten, wow, you have really outdid yourself!"

"Thanks," Goten smiled, taking a bite of his food. "Of course, most of this stuff was pre-cooked, so it wasn't too hard to make."

_Ahhh, that explains why it looks edible! _"Of course! I'm sure it would have been delicious either way!" Marron said with a grin, taking a bite of the eggs on her plate.

Goten was shoveling in the food as fast as it would come, causing Marron to give him a skeptical gaze. "I think I'm starting to get the hang of this cooking thing!" He said with a mouthful of food.

Marron giggled and raked another forkful and smiled sweetly as she watched the man in front of her inhale the plates of food next to him one by one, happy that they were together again, and that everything was fine once more...

Trunks usually was a sound sleeper, except when he was nervous. Then, it was almost impossible for the Demi-Saiyan to get any rest at all. Tonight was one of those nights. He had tossed and turned, thinking about what his sister had said about Uub and him being her boyfriend.

Trunks and Uub had been on mutual terms for a long time, and he had nothing against the warrior, but Trunks was naturally protective of his younger sister, and didn't exactly trust her in his hands. _Let me rephrase that...I don't trust HIM in HER hands..._Trunks thought with a frown. When she had dated Goten, he knew she was safe. Goten would never do anything to hurt her as long as the two were best buds. Uub wasn't Trunks' best bud, so he didn't feel comfortable knowing she was going to be with him.

Trunks rolled over in bed, trying to shake the idea off. _You're being a wuss, Trunks-man. She's fine...It's just Uub...that's all...As long as dad doesn't find out..._

But then the thought of him finding out _DID _enter Trunks' mind. What if he did? Vegeta had been completely against the idea of Goten and Bra together, but wouldn't do anything drastic about it with Gohan around. At least, that was what Trunks had assumed. But with Uub, no one was stopping Vegeta from wigging out and seriously hurting him. Trunks didn't exactly like the idea of his father bashing some boyfriend of Bra's head in, but the idea was certainly valid with Vegeta. And that worried Trunks most of all.

Rolling out of bed and pulling a gray T-shirt on, Trunks walked out of his room, tugging at his charcoal sleeping pants. He fumbled into the kitchen, and pulled up a seat at the table. Bulma was at the stove, pulling out cinnamon rolls.

"Oh, hi son! Glad you're awake bright and early!" She said cheerily. Trunks nodded his head and mumbled his best 'hello'. Bulma smiled at her son's attempt. "Still sleepy?"

"Couldn't sleep a wink," Trunks sighed.

"Maybe you shouldn't drink so much," A low growl entered the kitchen. "I found a beer bottle outside the hedges this morning which I assumed was yours," Vegeta eyed his son as he strolled up to the oven beside Bulma, shirtless and very in shape to say the least. Bulma's eyes widened, and a girly look appeared on her face, making her seem years younger than she truly was. Trunks nodded to his father and rolled his eyes at his mom.

"Vegeta-San!" Bulma smiled, her face lit up, her eyes staring at his muscles, "My husband, still buff as ever!"

"Good lord, mom," Trunks sighed, his face in his hands. "You see dad with his shirt off all the time. Nothing new."

Vegeta actually looked impressed at his son. "Did you hear that?" He glanced at Bulma, a smirk on his face, "He's sounding more like me every day! Ha ha," He laughed and grabbed a hot cinnamon roll of the tray Bulma was holding. Her eyes grew wide and she looked as if she was trying to shout to him that they were hot, but Vegeta downed the roll in an instant, staring with an unnatural look of pride at his son.

"Yes," Bulma said in a low growl, shooting her son a glare. "Every day..."

Vegeta wiped his mouth with his fist and laid a hand on his son's shoulder, "How about you train today with me? Or are you too busy?" He smirked that trademark braggart smile.

Trunks frowned. He would have loved to train with his father but he also wanted to check up on Bra today. "I'd love to dad, but could it be a bit later?"

"Why?" Bulma and Vegeta said at the same time.

Trunks shot them both an eerie look, "If it's all the same I have to take care of a few things in town, but then I'll come back and spar with you, dad."

Vegeta gave a gruff snort and then smirked slightly, "Fine. But the longer you take, the madder I'm going to get and the harder I'll spar. Understood?" His dark eyes were locked onto Trunks'.

Trunks paled slightly, "Yep, got it." Vegeta and Trunks stared at each other for a moment in silence, Bulma staring at the two as if they were insane. Vegeta nodded and walked towards the door, turning only to see Bulma before he left.

"Oh, and woman, make sure to bring me some form of lunch," He said bluntly before slamming the door.

Bulma shot him an exhausted look as he left, "Oh, I'll fix him some lunch all right!" She turned to Trunks. "Are you planning on eating, or shall I serve you something else, Prince of Saiyans?" She said with a sarcastic snap.

"Well actually--" Trunks started, but the glare on his mother's face was equal to death, so he stopped and grabbed a roll from the plate and ate it without question. Bulma glared at him until he finally left the room. _Well, I'll just leave mom to herself today..._

Trunks slipped on black training pants and a dark blue shirt and headed out the door. As far as his mother and father knew, he was running business errands. But in reality all he was really going to do was see what Bra and Uub were up to. He figured she'd left early to go shop, seeing as that was usually how she was when it came to shopping; bargain hunt early, then hit the main stores in the afternoon. But first, he would need some sort of disguise. Bra would be able to spot him from a mile away as he was now. _Where do I go to get a disguise? _Trunks thought. Then it clicked. _Of course, I'll go to Gohan and Videl's! They'll help me out..._

Trunks took a certain amount of pride in the fact that he was fast. He had always had a nack for speed and loved flying at high rates of intensity. His father said he was too quick for his own good, but Trunks knew that he could use speed to his advantage at all times. Flying so fast that the clouds didn't have enough time to stay materialized in front of him, the Demi-Saiyan flew towards the home of Gohan and Videl, Hercule's mansion.

He'd always been impressed with the house. After all it had fifty rooms, which Chi Chi reminded everyone at get-togethers. She had been thoroughly happy that Gohan and Videl had decided to move into the mansion shortly after Bebi had been defeated. Gohan needed someone to talk to on occasions that wasn't Videl, and while Hercule was a bumbling idiot, he was someone that Gohan could chat with. As to what they chatted about, Trunks didn't really want to know.

Spotting the large house, Trunks decended smoothly onto the ground. As he landed, he spotted Videl walking out the main door, her hair in a loose ponytail hanging down her back and her blue eyes staring at him with a cheerful expression.

"Hey, Trunks!" She smiled and waved, pulling a blue denim jacket on over her red sundress. "What do we owe the pleasure of having you here?"

"Actually, I was here to talk with Gohan if he's not busy," Trunks answered, walking towards her. Videl frowned.

"Oh, he's not here at the moment," She gave Trunks a sad look. "He went off with dad to do some sort of father-in-law bonding, I don't know," Her voice sounded none to pleased with the idea. Trunks decided not to look into it too much.

"I see," _What now?_

"I was actually on my way to your house to chat with your mother," Videl said, casting him a skeptical look. "Is she around?"

"Mom's there, yeah," Trunks said in barely more than a mumble, not knowing what he was going to do now.

"You know," Videl said, seeing the disappointment on Trunks' face, "Pan's out back behind the house. Maybe you could see if she could help you."

Trunks looked up at Videl oddly. Why she was recommending her daughter to assist him, he wasn't sure, but the look on her face showed that she knew Trunks was up to something. Rather than argue with her, he decided to at least go back and see what Pan was up to, but he was sure she wouldn't be able to help him.

"Okay, I'll do that. See ya, Videl," Trunks waved to Pan's mother as he started to fly towards the back of the mansion.

"Bye, Trunks!" Videl waved back, her mouth forming a small smile.

Trunks landed at the back of the house and was surprised to see a CAPSULE CORP. Training Chamber. It looked exactly like their own at home. Trunks walked towards it and could hear several banging noises. Deciding he might as well go in, Trunks lifted the door up and stepped into the metallic chamber.

Immediately, he felt his legs grounded to the floor. Taken by surprise, Trunks realized that the gravity simulation was turned on. He stared at the figure ahead of him. It was Pan, but not as he'd ever seen her before.

She was flying her legs into the air with great ease, her kicks thrusting hard into the air and pounding into a simulation dummy so hard, that the sand was starting to crumble out of it. Her raven hair was wild and unruly, sweat dripping from her forehead, and her eyes were intense, almost on fire. She was so concentrated with kicking the stuffing out of the dummy that she handn't noticed Trunks enter the chamber. He'd never seen her fight so fiercely, but then again, he hadn't seen her fight since the last duel with Bebi.

"Hey there," Trunks called out to her. Pan stopped in midair and tumbled to the ground in surprise. She picked herself up immediately and ran to the computer to shut it off. Pressing a small button, there was a long beep and Trunks felt the weight leave his legs immediately as it had arrived.

"Oh, hi Trunks!" Pan said breathlessly, wiping her forehead. She was dressed in an oversized white shirt that looked like it had belonged to her mom, draped over black tight shorts. She looked very much like a younger version of Chi Chi with her dark eyes, but she had Videl's heart shaped face.

"Training?" Trunks asked, straining to see what she'd had the computer set to.

"Yep," Pan replied smiling, "I was warming up, actually. A hundred times normal gravity!" She said with a deep breath, her chest rising as she said this.

Trunks looked at her in awe, "A warm up?"

"Yeah, I usually amp it up to two-hundred after about thirty minutes," Pan swished a her hair back over her shoulders.

Trunks knew that was the same rate his father trained at. "That's incredible, Pan. A year ago, I would have never guessed--"

"A year ago, I was a weakling," Pan said with a tight frown. Obviously, it was a tender subject. Trunks stared at her with an immediate feeling of regret for saying that. He knew she hated what had happened to her grandfather, him having to leave with Shenlong. Trunks laid a hand on her shoulder.

"You weren't ever weak, Pan," He reassured her. Pan looked up at him, and he saw a fire in her eyes that burned brighter than anything he'd ever seen. She turned away from him and made her way to the chamber door.

"Well," She said coolly, "I won't be anymore. I'm going to train until I'm strong enough to beat you in a fight," She smiled, "And maybe even Vegeta."

Trunks laughed as the two headed out of the chamber. "Beat me and dad? You keep training that way, and it may happen," He paused and smiled slyly, "Maybe."

"What are you here for?" Pan said with a pout, crossing her arms. "Did dad invite you to go with him and Grandpa Hercule or something?"

"No, I was actually here looking for your dad, though," Trunks said as they headed for the back door to the mansion. "But your mom said you could help me with what I needed, so I guess I'm here to see you."

Pan blushed slightly, but didn't let Trunks see it, "Oh? With what do you need my help?"

"Well, it's a bit complicated," Trunks admitted with a sigh. "It's a secret too."

"You can trust me, Trunks," Pan smiled innocently. "Whatever it is, I won't tell a soul."

"Okay," Trunks leaned towards her, keeping his eyes steady with hers, "But if you tell dad or mom, or your parents, or anyone else that can't keep a secret, you will have me to deal with. Understand?" His blue eyes were locked with her dark ones.

Pan gave him a sharp scowl, "I'm not a baby, Trunks. Or a snitch. I can keep a secret." The two stared at each other for a moment, then Trunks sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

_Here we go, _"Okay. I need to spy on my sister," Trunks said simply, trying to keep the details simple.

Pan cocked her head to the side, confused. "Why?"

Trunks sighed, "I just do, okay?" _Why do you have to ask 'why'? Just trust me on this...I don't have to tell you!_

"Why would anyone want to spy on their sister?" Pan knew she was going to get an answer out of him one way or another.

Trunks let out a groan, knowing she was going to bug him until he told her. "She's going to the mall with some guy--"

"Oooh, a date!" Pan said, a smile spreading across her face, "Do I know him?"

Trunks frowned, "Maybe." He really didn't want to tell her.

"Oh, so I do!" Pan smiled evilly. "Do they live close by?"

Trunks gave her a stern glare, "Are you going to help me or not? I'm--I'm not sure who it is," He lied.

"Oh," Pan's face wilted a bit, "Fine, I'll help. So you're going to spy on Bra, huh?" She looked around and then back at him. "Why do you need my help?"

"Bra can spot me from a mile away as it is," Trunks told her, "I need a disguise so she won't recognize me. I thought that if your father still had his Saiyaman suit, that I could--"

"**_NO!" _**Pan exploded, causing Trunks to jump back a step.

"Wha--what?" Trunks sputtered in shock.

"Are you _serious_?" Pan raised her eyebrows, her eyes wide in disgust. "Those are the most hideous outfits ever! They're ridiculous!"

"My mom _made _those you know," Trunks said sternly.

"I don't care, they're horrible," Pan shook her head. "You want her to _not _notice you, not be obvious, which is what you'll be if you wear that suit!" She shook her head again and made a disgusted face as if she'd just eaten a bucket of rotten eggs.

"So what do you propse I do, then?" Trunks said, crossing his arms.

"Well," Pan pondered this a moment, her eyes scanning the rooms around her, "We could start by dressing you in some different clothes. I think you can fit in some of dad's old stuff, "She said eyeing Trunks as they walked down the hall. "That's a start."

"Okay, so I'm in different clothes," Trunks said as they entered what appeared to be Gohan and Videl's room, or at least one of them. "But that still doesn't hide the fact that she'll notice my face and hair," He pointed to his head.

"You have a point," Pan said nodding her head, "She would notice you still." Pan thought for a moment, looking pensive, then a broad smile broke out on her face. "Unless..."

"Unless what?" Trunks had a bad feeling about the way she'd said that word.

"Well, you want to go undercover right?" Pan asked him serenely.

"Yes, I guess," Trunks replied.

"And you don't want her to notice you, right?" Pan said softer.

"Yes," Trunks said pressing her to go on.

"Well, this will be a little extreme, but I can get it to where she won't notice you," Pan had an innocent look on her face, but her eyes still shone with fire in them.

"How extreme is it?" Trunks raised an eyebrow.

"Pretty extreme," Pan said with an anxious smile.

"How bad extreme are we talking about?" Trunks didn't like the way this was heading.

"Look, how bad do you want to spy on your sister?" Pan said with an exhausted stare. "How much is it worth to you?"

Trunks thought about this for a second. He knew that until he figured out what those two were doing in their 'alone' time, there was going to be a lot more sleepless nights. He looked back at Pan. She was looking at him with a mixed look of anxiety and impatience. He realized that there was no use lying...

"I want to know real bad," He said all at once.

Pan smiled broadly and clasped her hand in his, "Well then, my good man, we have a little work to do, don't we?" With that she tugged him along with her from Gohan and Videl's room and down the hallway towards another set of doors.

"Didn't we want some of Gohan's clothes to use?" Trunks asked her as she opened another door to their right.

"We'll get to that later," Pan said with a secretive grin, "But for now, there are other things to worry about..."

And as she said this she closed the door to the room they had entered, and Trunks knew in the pit of his stomach, this wasn't going to turn out good at all, but he hoped for the best anyway. And he hoped she could have him ready soon. The longer he was away from home, the more pumped up his father would be, and the harder the beating would be on Trunks that night.

Breakfast had gone exeedingly well, in Goten's opinion. He had managed to clean most of the food up, as Marron only ate a plateful. He wondered if he was really a bad cook, but she explained to him that she wasn't much of an eater.

"Really, Goten," Marron assured him, "My family aren't real food junkies at all."

"Wow, that's amazing," Goten said with an amazed grin, "Me and Gohan alone could eat away an entire fridge in a few days on a good day!"

Marron's eyes widened a bit, "You eat that much?" She couldn't imagine her family cleaning out a fridge in a year.

"It's a Saiyan thing," Goten said nonchalantly, eating the last bit of toast on one of the plates.

"Oh," Marron didn't understand a lot about Saiyans, just what her father had told her.

Seeing her paled face, Goten frowned, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Marron replied quickly, but Goten knew that something was up.

"Are you okay?" Goten asked her. She had only acted odd after he'd said he was a Saiyan.

Quickly to get on another subject, Marron smiled casually and looked out the window, "I...I just need some fresh air, that's all."

_Marron seems uncomfortable...I want to make her happy...But what do girls like to do? _An idea snapped into Goten's head, "Hey, want to go into town?"

"What?" Marron asked confused. She'd never expected him to ask her that.

"You don't like shopping?" Goten cocked his head in confusion, seeming childish.

"Oh, I do, I do," Marron said, waving her hand in front of her, "I just didn't think you would want to go shopping."

"Well, we have been here a few days and been on the beach...it'd be nice to do something different for a day or two. We have a week here after all, right?" Goten asked, his head on the knuckles of his hand.

"I suppose so," Marron said with a small sigh.

"Then, come on, let's go!" Goten sat up and grabbed her hand.

"What about Breakfast?" Marron stammered, shocked at his forwardness. "Shouldn't we clean up the table?"

"We'll do that later," Goten said with a smile, "It's not as if anyone's going to be here while we're gone!" He led her to the door, leaving her just enough time to grab her purse off the counter and for Goten to stuff the wallet with Chi Chi's credit card in his training pants' pocket. Just as they reached the door, a figure landed on the beach beside them. Goten and Marron froze in their tracks as the figure walked towards them.

"Hey there," The figures shoulder length raven hair gleamed in the sunlight.

"Pan," Goten and Marron said simultaneously. Pan walked toward them, her hair wavy in the breeze, the sun dancing on her pale skin.

"That's me," She said casually, giving Goten a small hug and smiling curtiously at Marron.

"What are you doing here?" Goten asked suddenly, looking down at her. "Is Gohan okay? What about Videl? Are they--"

"They're fine," Pan reassured him, "I came alone. They don't really know I'm here."

"Pan, why'd you do that?" Marron asked her suddenly. "You should go back home."

"I agree with Marron," Goten said looking from her to Pan, "Gohan would get mad if he knew you were here."

"Don't worry about that," Pan said and then saw the purse in Marron's hand, "Where are you two off to?"

"What? Oh, uh," Marron saw that she'd seen her purse. _Not good..._

"Just into town, that's all," Goten said with an uncertain smile.

"Really?" Pan's face lit up, "Can I come?"

Goten and Marron looked at each other. The two didn't like the idea of babysitting Pan for the day.

"Pan, it's just that--" Goten started.

"Why did you come here in the first place, dear?" Marron asked curiously.

Pan's face paled slightly more than usual, "Uhm, no real reason," She scuffed her feet in the sand, "Just to say hi, that's all." She had really wanted to come and tell them about Bra and her mystery boyfriend, but something inside her wouldn't let her say to them. She kept seeing Trunks' face in her mind telling her not to tell anyone about it...

"That's it?" Goten asked, raising an eyebrow. _Pan never did anything without a reason behind it._

"Yep," Pan said nervously, eager to get off the topic, "So can I come with you?" She begged.

"Well," Marron looked at Goten, who had an _I-don't-know-what-to-do _look on his face. Marron decided that it would be better to have her with them, than send her home sullen, "Okay, I guess."

"Yay!" Pan said excited. "Uhm, where are we going to in town?" She was happy that she was getting to hang out with her favorite uncle, and not have to tell them about Bra and the secret date.

"Uh, Marron?" Goten hadn't thought that part out.

"I guess we could run to the mall," Marron said thoughtfully. Pan's eyes danced with excitement.

"Cool! Let's go!" Pan flew up into the air, and looked down at them. "Coming, you guys?"

Marron gave Goten a fleeting look, "I guess we have to fly don't we?"

"Yep," Goten said with a smile and grabbed Marron by the waist, lifting her up into the air. Marron cringed and tightly wrapped her arms around his waist. Goten smiled down at her. "You really are afraid of heights aren't you?"

"You think?" Marron whimpered, trying not to look down as they flew off towards the city.

"At least you know how to swim, right?" Pan said with a helpful smile.

Goten flashed her a look that clearly said, _Shut up or I'm going to take you back home. You're not helping! _Pan immediately ran a hand to her mouth, "Oh she doesn't...," She said in barely more than a whisper.

The three flew towards the town, Goten's arms clutching Marron tightly in his grasp. They hadn't talked alot since they had been up in the air, most of the time all that was heard was Marron's whimpers, as she held her eyes snapped shut, her head against Goten's chest. Pan looked at them with a slight feeling of envy. She wished she could have been in Marron's place, but not with Goten. A brief flash of her crush's face floated into her mind, but she shook it off. _He doesn't like you that way, _She thought to herself as they were getting closer to the city.

"So were you just bored or something, Pan?" Goten asked her as the large city came into view. "Is that why you came over?"

Pan smiled nervously. They were back on that topic, "Yeah, I had just got done training and wanted to see you guys. I usually see you every day, Goten. It's odd without you at Grandma Chi Chi's." Her mouth form a small frown. Goten nodded.

"It's been different away from home," He looked down at Marron and smiled, "But I can't say it's been bad..." He gave Marron a fond look, who was still shaking in his arms, her eyes tightly closed.

"Any chance we'll be landing soon?" She said in a bit of a whine, her voice cracking. Goten looked down; the city was sprawled out before them.

"We can land here, and walk the rest of the way can't we?" Goten looked over to Pan, his face urging her to agree.

Pan sighed with a hint of annoyance; she liked flying, "I guess," She said with a shrug.

"Okay then," The three landed on the nearest sidewalk they could find, several bystanders staring at them in awe, some muttering whispers of "Did you _see _that?" or "Were they _really _flying?" Goten and Pan were used to the chatter by now. Casually ignoring the people staring at them, Goten unwrapped his arms from Marron, who opened her eyes and looked at the ground as if it was the best thing she'd ever seen.

"Finally!" She exclaimed, hugging a tree beside them. Pan gave Goten an amused look.

"You are going to _have _to teach her how to fly or something!" Pan said with a sly grin.

Goten scratched his head and raised an eyebrow, "I've never seen someone who hated flying so much."

"A match made in heaven," Pan said with a sarcastic laugh, walking towards Marron, who hadn't heard her, "How far are we from the mall?"

Marron let go of the tree and stared at the street signs around them, "It's a little ways, but we can make it there, no problem."

"Good, let's go then, shall we?" Goten said grasping Marron's hand as they started to walk away, "I hate it when people stare at us like this. It's as if we're aliens or something." He gave the pedestrians beside them a sharp glare.

"Uh, Earth to Goten," Pan started with a childish grin, "We _are _aliens. Or at least, part alien I guess," She thought about that statement as they walked on.

"I'm not used to people staring at us like this," Marron had never seen so many people staring at them as they walked by. It was as if they all had giant warts on their faces or something. _I wish they'd stop, it's embarrassing, _Marron thought to herself.

"You'll have to get used to it," Pan said with a frustrated sigh as they turned the corner of the street, leaving the starers behind. "There's a lot more where that came from."

The journey towards the mall wasn't much of an eventful one, but fortunately, no one else stared at them while they were on their way. The only instance that caused anyone to come close to staring was when Pan flew up to grab a frisbee that was soaring towards the road. Goten had to explain to the boys watching in awe that it was Pan's "strength shoes" in basketball that was allowing her to "jump" that high. The boys watched in amazement as they went on their way. Goten reminded his neice that not everyone was used to their special abilities, but it was obvious that Pan was soaking in the moment with great pride and happiness.

After about thirty minutes of walking, they finally reached the mall entrance. Pan walked up ahead of the two and stood in front of the door, blocking their way in. Goten and Marron gave Pan an odd look. Pan simply smiled the most innocent smile she could pull off.

"Hey, since we're here for the afternoon," Pan said sweetly, "Is it okay if I go on my own for a little while in here?"

"I think you should stay with us, Pan," Goten said in a fatherly fashion.

"Why would you want to go on your own?" Marron asked curiously.

"I just figured you wouldn't want to go to the stores I like," Pan said with a small frown, scuffing her feet on the pavement.

"We'll go to your favorite stores too, Pan," Goten replied, "Just stick with us okay?"

Pan sighed and nodded her head, "Okay..." She said gloomily as she followed them into the store.

The truth was that Pan had been hoping they _would _go to the mall first. She had told Trunks to wait at the mall for her and she'd meet up with him. Then they could spy on Bra together. The trip to Goten and Marron's was a little detour, where she'd planned to tell them what Trunks had found out before she met up with him, but that hadn't exactly worked according her to plan. Now that she had made it to the mall, only with two extra people with her. She'd hoped to lose them and meet up with the Demi-Saiyan, but so far that didn't look possible with her uncle and his girlfriend with her.

The mall was particularly crowded today, sales everywhere around them. The glass roof of the metal structure let in the fractured light of the sun and cast a bright gleam on everyone shopping. Pan grasped ahold of Goten's arm as they shuffled through the mass of people, Marron trying to decide where to shop first. Pan looked around nervously.

_I've got to find some way to lose these two and meet up with Trunks, _Pan thought sneakily as the three walked through the main aisle of the mall.

Goten tilted his head and looked at her oddly, but she hadn't noticed this. Goten just realized he'd read her thoughts. His eyes widened when he realized that the "two" people she was trying to find a way to lose was him and Marron. _Why does she want to meet up with Trunks? _Goten wondered. Something fishy was going on. _Maybe if I try to read her thoughts again..._Goten was against the idea of reading what people were thinking, but he was now more curious than ever to know what was going on.

Pan hadn't noticed Goten looking straight at her, the girl's eyes randomly scanning the crowd. _Trunks told me he'd be waiting by Sojourner's...but where is he? _Her lips were slack with nervousness.

Goten smiled, forming a plan in his mind, "Hey, Marron, how about we run down to the shoe store?"

Marron turned and stared at him. Pan gave him a surprised look. "Oh, which one?" Marron asked curiously.

"I don't know," Goten said, sweat forming on his brow, "Isn't there that one shoe store...uh, Sojourner's?"

Pan's eyes grew wide, a skeptical look clouding her features, "You never go there, Goten?" _Is he serious?_

"I haven't been there," Goten smiled nervously, "But I heard it has some new running shoes there that I'd like to see about...uh, for training!" _Yeah, that sounds good._

"Okay," Marron said with a soft smile, "I guess we can run by there first." She started off with Goten and Pan trailing behind her.

Pan gave Goten another suspicious look, but he was watching Marron leading the way, his face unreadable. _Goten's never gone to Sojourner's before...that's odd. Oh well, at least this gets me to Trunks faster..._

Pan wasn't watching him now, but Goten was smiling, _And now we find out what's going on..._

They parted through the crowd and managed to make it to the shoe outlet. There were still a throng of people going in and out the shoe store, and it was difficult for the three to make it inside. But after a moment of filing single file through the crowd they made it into the facility, a distinct smell of new shoes filling their nostrils.

"It smells so...interesting in here," Goten said with an unpleasant look about him.

"Sojourner's always smells like this," Marron smiled taking in a deep breath of the smell. She liked it anyway, "It's a shoe store, not a perfume shop."

"Good point," Goten said, trying to fight off the urge to hold his nose. Pan gave them a slightly impatient look.

"Well, I'll let you two find those running shoes, while I head to the clearance rack over here," She said pointing to a round column filled with half priced shoes.

Goten was about to tell her to stay with them, when Marron spoke up, "Okay, Pan. Don't leave the shoe store though, okay? It's really crowded today." She smiled sweetly, turning to look at the new athletic sprinting shoes on display.

"Okay! Thanks!" Pan said quickly, turning and walking steadily towards the back of the store where the rack was. Goten wanted to reach out and grab her, but Marron had tugged his arm and pulled him around to face the athletic shoes.

"Now which ones did you want to look at?" Marron asked him with a sweet naive voice. Goten groaned, realizing that he'd said he wanted to look at running shoes..._Me and my big mouth..._

Pan made her way to the back of the store, taking long than she would have liked to push her way through the crowd of people that didn't seem to care that she needed to make it to the Clearance Rack. Finally reaching the sale column, she idled for a moment, trying to look as if she was interested in the shoes on sale. She looked to her left, then to her right. No one was paying much attention to her. Pan looked back to Goten and Marron; the two were currently in deep conversation about the running shoes, Goten looking less thrilled than Marron, but neither of them looking towards where Pan was. Pan smiled, as a tall man in a brown tweed coat walked up beside her.

"Took you long enough," The man said coolly, looking down at Pan. She looked up and smiled broadly,

"Told you I'd be here though, didn't I, Trunks?"

Trunks smiled, but his face was slightly pink as she looked him over. The disguise was pretty good. Trunks had on Gohan's blue trousers with his white button-up shirt, and brown tweed jacket. He had on dark large sunglasses and his hair wasn't visible, due to the oversized newsboy hat he wore. If he hadn't have talked, no one would recognize him as Trunks. Pan only knew it was him, because she'd seen what he looked like before he'd left.

"What's the matter?" Pan smiled mischieviously, looking him over again.

"I feel like an idiot in this outfit," Trunks replied, looking at the shiny black shoes he wore. "I can't belive Gohan actually wears this on a daily basis."

"Neither can I," Pan said with a small sigh. It wasn't the best in taste after all. "So," She said, excitement welling up in her voice, "What'd you find out so far."

"Well, since you were taking forever," Trunks frowned down at her for an instant, "I went around and finally managed to spot the two." There was a bitterness in his voice.

"Did they notice you?" Pan asked anxiously.

"Your disguise worked perfectly, no," Trunks said with a smile. Pan grinned triumphantly, happy her disguise had worked.

"What were they up to?" Pan wanted to know details on the mystery man.

"The two of them were going in and out of stores, just like anyone else. Bra would come out with bags and hand them to him and they'd go on. Nothing out of the ordinary," Trunks replied, but there was something in his voice that showed he was hiding something.

"But?" Pan knew he wanted to tell more.

"I caught them snogging each other more than once," He snorted in a very Vegeta-like fashion, "Disgusting." He made a sour face.

"Snogging?" Pan tilted her head sideways.

"You know," Trunks said, his face turning pink, but the scowl remaining on his face, "Making out."

"Oh!" Pan giggled, "I've never heard it called that before!" She laughed. "So, how close did you get?"

"Close enough to hear them talking to each other, but I didn't want to get too close, otherwise they'd think I was stalking them or something," He raised a hand to scratch the back of his head, trying to keep his hat on at the same time.

"So you got close enough to see who it was with her?" Pan said pressingly.

"Basically," Trunks said quietly, scratching his head vigorously, "This hat is starting to itch."

"Then take it off," Pan said with a smirk.

"No, I'd rather not," Trunks replied with a frown. His tone told her that subject was dead.

Pan pouted, but then the anxiety rose up in her again, "So who was it? Who was the mystery man she's dating?"

Trunks frowned more, his face contorting slightly. "It was Uub."

"_Uub_?" Pan made a disgusted gesture. "Bra and Uub?" She would have never suspected it. "Wow! That's...that's..."

"Gross? Wrong?" Trunks said bitterly.

"I have nothing against him at all as a friend," Pan said with a still-sick look on her face, "But why on earth would Bra want to be with Uub?"

"What's this about Uub?"

Trunks' mouth dropped open in surprise, while Pan spun around so quick that she knocked over half the shoes on the Clearance Rack. Goten and Marron were standing right beside them, a large SOJOURNER'S shoe bag in Goten's hand. He didn't look exactly pleased either with the purchase. He stared down at Pan and then to Trunks, "And who is this?" His eyes flared threateningly.

"Oh, it's Trunks, Goten!" Pan said, her face starkly white, "I saw him over here and we were talking," She said innocently.

"Trunks?" Goten said, the anger subsiding in his face. Suddenly he noticed his outfit, a broad grin spreading across his face, "What's up with the clothes, man? Wait," he noticed the tweed jacket, "Is that Gohan's?" It was obvious that Goten wanted to burst out laughing.

"Err," Trunks face turned a bright shade of red, "Yeah, it is, actually."

Goten looked as if he was about to explode with laughter, while Marron merely held a hand to her mouth to surpress a giggle. Pan's face slowly started regaining its color. "Uh, ready to go?" She said softly, grasping Goten's hand, but he shoved it off.

"No, not yet," He said with a small mix between a frown and a smile, "What are you up to Trunks? What's with the get-up?"

"Uh, nothing much," Trunks said, feeling his stomach twist inside him, "Just shopping around, that's all."

"Why do you have on Gohan's clothes?" Marron asked with a curious smile. Goten pointed to his head,

"And what's up with the hat? Is that Roshi's?" He stopped a laugh from exiting him. Pan felt the tension in the area starting to grow. _This is going to be a disaster..._

"Uh, just leave it on," Trunks replied, trying to keep it on his head, "It's my grandpa's--"

"What was this about Uub you were talking about?" Marron interupted.

"We were...we were just chatting, right, Pan?" Trunks gave Pan a look that clearly meant _HELP!_

"Uh, Yeah! Just chatting!" Pan looked at Trunks with a helpless look on her face. _What else do I say?_

"I thought you said something about Bra and Uub," Goten said, trying to pry the hat off Trunk's head.

Trunks backed towards the wall, but there wasn't a lot of room left to back away to, "Well, you see, Goten, I didn't want to tell you but--"

Pan butted in, "Trunks was trying to find out about Bra's new boyfriend."

"New boyfriend?" Marron said with a shocked expression. "She's already got a new boyfriend?"

"Looks that way," Trunks replied, as Goten playfully kept trying to take Trunks' hat off.

"I disguised Trunks so he could spy on Bra!" Pan said suddenly, trying to explain the situation.

"She was going to leave us earlier to meet up with him," Goten said suddenly, his face tense as he reached again for the hat.

Pan spun around, her face pale and surprised, "WHAT? How did you know that?" She couldn't believe it.

"Did you read her thoughts?" Marron asked him at once, an angry glare on her face.

"I didn't mean to!" Goten said with a childish whine. It was half-true anyway.

"_You read my thoughts_?" Pan spat out with shock in her voice, her eyes angry.

"Look guys," Trunks tried to pull away from Goten's grasp, but the Demi-Saiyan was still trying to take the hat off his head, "I just want to go find Bra and see what their up to--"

"We're going with you," Marron said suddenly, her arms crossed.

"You really don't want to get involved with this--" Trunks tried to explain.

"I can't believe you, Goten!" Pan burst out, still mad with her uncle's actions.

"Get...over...it," Goten said with one final grab towards the hat, "Now come on, Trunks, take the hat off and let's see the damage! What'd she do? Cut your hair? Or did she give it a permane--"

The hat flew off of Trunks head and landed on the floor with a soft thud. Marron ran a hand to her mouth in surprise and shock. Goten's eyes grew as big as dinner plates as he stared at Trunks with an open mouth. Pan sighed softly and picked up the hat off the floor. Trunks, his face the deepest shade of crimson, slowly took off his shades to reveal his bright blue eyes staring at the three of them with a look of clear embarrassment.

The three stared at Trunks and his headful of jet black hair.

_**LOL, bwahahahahaha! Well, this chapter was pretty long, but it sets up the next chapter which I'll try to have done before Friday, because that's the day I leave, and I may be gone for two weeks! NOOOO! I'll try to write when I get the chance while i'm gone, but that looks slim at the moment. Anyway, I had fun writing this chapter, and I hoped you all liked it too! **_

_**Oh, and as a bonus, type in this addy to see a picture I drew on my computer's PAINT program of the last scene in this chapter...something new, just wanted to share it with you guys! I know it sucks, but oh well, we do what we can! LOL**_

_**here's the addy: ******_

http/img. Chapter, Trunks and his hair get plenty of laughs from pretty much everyone, and Bra, Marron, and Goten meet up with each other for the first time since Goten and Marron's dinner together...the fur's going to fly! 

_**So please send me some reviews on what you thought about this chapter, and I'll be cooking up ideas for the story while I'm gone...**_

_**Hopefully I can get one more chapter posted before I'm gone! **_

_**Thanks a million for all the support you guys! I love you all! Peace out and ROCK ROCK ON!**_

_**Romania Black**_


	15. Day Three, Confrontations

The Taming of the Saiyan

By Romania Black

_**CHAPTER FIFTEEN! WOOT! LOL, sorry, just had a burst of energy I had to expell...LOL! Well, this chapter was really a lot of fun to write...lots of fun times and some serious bad vibes going on in some parts...ha ha, you'll see what I mean! Oh, and I'm sorry that picture I made on paint wouldn't show up..this computer won't let me display the addy for it! Sorry!**_

_**Okay, **__**other than that, I'm going to be gone for two weeks starting tommorrow, so I hope this holds you over until then! **_

_**Disclaimer: Okay, I own nothing of Akira Toriyama, but if he DID want to use any of my ideas...well, uh, GO FOR IT! LOL**_

_**Oh, and of course, still rated T for Teen, due to some sexual themes, brief language, alcohol consumption, and some mild violence...**_

_**Reviews:**_

**_Sinful Sakura: Trunks with black hair is insane, isn't it! LOL, I'm soooo glad I made someone's night! yayness! LOL, thanks so much for the review, and I'm glad the longness of the chapter wasn't a bad thing! LOL, hope you enjoy this chapter too!_**

**_Kumori Ookami: LOL, Goten is a sweetheart! I love the chibi version of him sooo much! But nothing away from Trunks...such a hottie, even with black hair! LOL, it does sound cute, huh? Trunks doesn't think so though! As far as Pan goes, I know where I lie on the Pan/Trunks thing...LOL, and I won't go into it at this point, but maybe later on it'll become clear what my thoughts are! Thanks for the review, and I hope this chapter is COOL as well!_**

**_Witch of Erie Knoll: Thanks for the review! I know, I HATED Gohan in the Saiyaman suit! Wanted to slap the BEJESUS out of him for it! LOL! Fortunately, Trunks' gorgeous lavender hair won't be forever black, but he'll get a lot of Hell for it! And don't worry, Goten's mind reading thing IS going to get him in trouble eventually! I'll update as soon as I can! Thanks again!_**

_**You guys have no idea how much you make my day! ALL OF YOU! You are all awesome! Thanks so much for the Reviews! Enjoy!**_

_**Romania Black**_

Chapter Fifteen: Day Three, Confrontations

Pan held Trunks' hat in her hands and took a deep breath. Goten was still staring at his best friend with eyes wide and mouth gaped open in utter shock. Marron lowered the hand from her mouth that had silenced a small yelp that almost came out when Trunks' hair was revealed.

Trunks shook his hair, which was jet black, back into place, his face forming a stern frown.

"Come on, guys, it's not that bad!" He yelled furiously at them.

Goten chuckled once and then burst into a huge peel of laughter than caused everyone in the store to stop and look at them for a moment. Trunks blushed and tried to wave his arms in a gesture that meant nothing was wrong, while Pan giggled nervously. Marron was still staring at Trunks in surprise.

_"HA HA HA!" _Goten roared, _"LOOK AT YOUR HAIR!" _He exploded, pointing to Trunks' head.

"It's not that bad," The Demi-Saiyan said in a low growl, but Goten was holding his stomach, doubling over in laughter. Trunks immediately turned his sharp gaze towards Pan, "This is all your fault!"

"Hey, who's the one that wanted to spy on his sister?" Pan said defensively, pointing a finger at Trunks. "I was just trying to help!"

"Oh, you've helped!" Trunks said hysterically, grabbing a handful of his now-ebony hair.

"It wasn't permanent or anything," Pan burst out, "The box said it'll come out in ten to twelve washes!"

"But Pan," Marron interupted matter-of-factly, "That's if the haircolor is lighter or around the same shade as the person's hair, not darker."

"So it _is _permanent?" Trunks asked in a groan, his hands wrapping around locks of his hair in anger.

"Probably not permanent," Marron replied, examining his hair, "But it'll be more than ten washes before it's back to normal."

Trunks gave Pan a sharp look, to which Pan shrugged and said, "You let me do it." The Demi-Saiyan rubbed his forehead with his hand as Goten was still pointing and busting a gut over Trunks' black hair.

"Goten, be nice," Marron said serenely.

"I'm sorry, Trunks--ha ha ha--but that is TOO funny!" Goten started to let the laughter subside inside him, "Wow, ha ha ha."

"Cut it out, I get it," Trunks scowled, "It looks ridiculous."

"It's not that, its just that...remember when we were younger and people were making fun of your hair because it was purple?" Goten said with a chuckle.

"Lavender," Trunks corrected him with a snort.

"Well, I always told you that you could dye your hair black like mine and it'd look cool," Goten smiled and let out a laugh, "But now that you actually _have _black hair, I'm glad you didn't do it before!" He let out another peel of laughter, as Trunks' turned a shade deeper of red.

"Look on the bright side, Trunks," Marron offered, a smile playing on the edge of her mouth, "At least it accents your eyes."

"Really?" Trunks looked around for a mirror.

"OH, yeah!" Pan exclaimed, looking from Marron to Trunks, "Definately! They're much more noticable!" Pan realized that Marron was trying to make Trunks feel better about his hair. It was seeming to work a little, although Goten's persistant laughing was hindering its affects a little.

Marron tugged on Goten's sleeve to signify that he should stop laughing. Goten didn't stop completely, but he reduced his laughing by a crucial amount, giving her a curious expression.

"What is it?" He chuckled.

"Trunks' temporary hair color is...amusing," She said tenderly, "But it does flatter him, doesn't it?"

Goten studied Trunk's head for a moment, "Yeah, it's okay I guess." He said, the laughter dying in his voice, then he let out a small smirk, trying to hold in a laugh, "Except that your hair's black and _YOUR EYEBROWS ARE STILL PURPLE_!" Goten roared in laughter, and Marron and Pan smacked themselves in the forehead in disbelief. _We should have seen that coming, _the two thought simultaneously.

Trunks puffed up in anger, his chest swelling, "Lavender! My eyebrows are lavender, _NOT _purple!" But Goten was on the floor laughing this time, and couldn't hear him. Trunks turned away from him with a huff.

Marron gave Goten a sharp look and then smiled towards Trunks, "It's alright, Trunks. Goten's just having a good laugh about the situation, that's all," She looked to Pan for support.

"Yeah, you know Goten's just joking around," Pan said with a innocent smile, "Me and Marron think that it's okay."

"You do?" Trunks had a hard time taking them seriously while Goten was rolling around on the floor laughing about his hair.

"Of course," Marron said with a gentle smile, "It's a different style for you. But it works."

"And even if other people joke about it," Pan sighed, knowing they would, "It'll still wash out after a little while and be back to normal before you know it!" At least she hoped so anyway.

"That's exactly right!" Marron exclaimed, grabbing Goten off the floor, who was crying from laughing so hard, "Come on, Goten, let's go and look around the rest of the mall with Trunks." She gave Goten a look that signaled _you'd better not make any more wisecracks about Trunks' hair_. Goten looked at her and realized she was serious. He stopped laughing and grabbed the hat from Pan's hands.

"Here, man," Goten said with a smile, placing the hat back on Trunks' head. "You may need that."

"Thanks," Trunks mumbled and adjusted the hat, so that a little of his hair was all that was peeking out.

The four exited the shoe store, heading out into the rest of the crowded mall. Pan got a bit of an earful from Goten for the next thirty minutes, mainly about the fact that he'd bought a pair of running shoes that he didn't even need. The two argued about this for several long minutes, before Marron finally told them both to drop the subject and that Goten needed new shoes anyway, since his were about to fall apart at the seams. Trunks got a nice laugh out of this and was starting to feel slightly better about the whole dark hair situation.

Still, Trunks had a feeling that people were staring at him and his hair, and as they went further into the mall, the staring seemed to get more noticable. Goten's laughter still ringing in his ears, Trunks decided that now would be a nice time for a drink.

"Come on," Trunks pleaded, as he stared at the bar and grill that was built into the mall beside them. "Just one drink, and I'll be back out."

"Trunks, do you really think you need a drink right at this second?" Marron pressed, giving him a disapproving look.

"It would help me handle this situation," Trunks said with a slight sneer, pointing to his head.

"There's nothing wrong with your hair. I thought we'd established that," Marron said in a motherly tone.

"Still, a drink would help," Trunks said with a slight desperation in his voice.

"Can I go too?" Goten said with an anxious smile on his face.

Marron stared at him with a sour expression, "And why do you need a drink, Goten?"

"Uh, I don't know," Goten smiled innocently, "But if Trunks has one, can I?" He asked childishly.

"No, Goten, you come with us. Trunks," She sighed, "Go in there and have a drink if it will make you feel better, and then meet us at Tiffany and Co., okay?" She ushered Pan ahead of her, along with a disappointed Goten.

"You got it," Trunks said immediately, and walked quickly into the bar and grill.

Goten looked slightly wilted at the idea that he couldn't follow his best friend and was about to object when he saw Marron's gaze on him. Clearly, he knew the answer was going to be 'no' no matter what he did. Pan gave Marron an odd look.

"Trunks' didn't used to drink that much, did he?" She had never known him for having a habitual drinking regimine.

"He did," Marron sighed, smiling reminiscently, "He just never drank around you, that's all."

"Oh," Pan said, amazed that she'd never seen him drink before, and yet he still had. She's been around him so much during the Black Star Dragonball search in space, she would have never known he had that kind of nature about him. "I never knew."

"Wish I could have had a drink with him," Goten said in a pout.

"I'd like you to be sober when we fly home," Marron said with a snap, "Considering you're the one carrying me! I'd like to know I'm not going to get dropped into the ocean halfway back to Roshi's!"

"But Saiyans are only drunk for a little while, and then it passes through their system a lot faster than regular humans," Goten explained, "And we don't get hangovers either, so I'd be fine with a few drinks in me!"

"Saiyans don't get drunk?" Pan's eyes grew wide.

"Yes, they do," Marron assured her, her blue eyes sharply piercing Goten's. She made sure that Goten read her thoughts by staring hard at him; _Don't tell her that! She'll think it's okay to get drunk; we don't want a fourteen year old drinking! What would Gohan do if he found out?_

Goten swallowed hard, thinking about what Gohan WOULD do if that happened, "Uh, well, yes Saiyans do get drunk."

"But you just said they didn't," Pan objected, giving them both seriously skeptical looks.

"I was...lying," Goten said nervously. Marron gave him a fleeting look as if he could have done better than that, "We do get drunk, but we don't have hangovers, that's it."

"Still, he'd get drunk and I'm not going to be the one to pay for it," Marron said with a finality in her voice that signaled that the conversation was dead. Pan and Goten looked at each other; Pan knew he was lying, but decided not to press any further into the situation. Goten sighed in relief that she didn't ask anymore about it as they headed further on into the mall.

Meanwhile, Trunks was downing his third shot of whiskey. He decided that if he was going to get a drink, he might as well make it a darn good one. "Another," he shouted to the bartender, who gave him a nod of his head before retreating towards the other end of the bar for the whiskey.

Trunks shifted his hat onto his head so that it was sideways, giving him a goofy look to his strong features. He sighed and smiled, feeling better already, "Another few of those," He said shakily, "And I'll be feeling good enough to walk out into public again! Cheers," He said with a smile, grabbing the shot of whiskey the bartender had laid out for him and downing it in one gulp. He smiled and looked around.

No one he knew jumped out at him, but he thought he saw a flash of blue hair out of the corner of his eye. _Must have been my imagination, _Trunks thought casually, but then as he turned to his right, the blue hair was right in front of him. Trunks' eyes grew wide, and his mouth dropped open sluggishly. It was Bra.

"So," She said in a sweet, yet vicious tone, "Come to the mall to have a few drinks, have we?"

Trunks smiled a drunken smile, "Why, yes," He sighed happily, "I occasionally come in and have a few with my good buddies," He motioned to the chairs next to him. Both were empty.

"I see," Bra said with a cunning smile, a finger tracing her cheek, "So why come to the mall to get drunk when there's a bar right down the street?"

Trunks saw that she was onto him, "I don't know---I don't know what you're getting at," He said with a false confused look.

"You snoop!" Bra snapped angrily at him, poking him in the chest, "You've been spying on me!"

"Have not," Trunks said at once.

"Liar," She whispered evilly, "I saw you standing by me over at Royale's, but I didn't say anything, because I wanted to make you think you were so sneaky." She placed a hand on her hip and looked at him triumphantly.

Trunks stared at her, "How did you know it was me?"

"Oh please," Bra said with a swish of her hair, "You are so obvious. No one in their right mind would wear anything that hideous," She gestured to Gohan's clothes, "Unless they were in disguise or something."

"What was it really that gave me away?" Trunks asked hazily.

"That hat," Bra said at once, "You think I wouldn't notice grandpa's hat? There's no other like it!" She gave it a disgusted look.

Trunks sat back in his seat, motioned with his glass for another shot. "And what if I was spying on you?" He grinned.

"What I don't understand is why on earth anyone would want to spy on me," Bra said with a glare, "Especially my own brother." There was a sinister gleam in her eye, as if she really knew why he'd spied on her, but didn't want to say it herself.

"I think you knooooow," Trunks said in a drunken smile, gulping down his fifth shot of whiskey and slamming the glass down.

Bra gave him a twisted smile, "You think I do?"

"Oh yes," Trunks said smiling widely, "You know that I was spying on you and Uub, and you know that it's because I was going to report what I saw to Goten and Marron, didn't you?"

"WHAT?" Bra's eyes bulged out of her head with fire dancing on them, "Goten and Marron sent you to spy on me?"

"Wha--?" Trunks stared at her in confusion, "No, no, that's not it. I was spying on you two and going to tell Goten and Marron---"

"They're here?" The Demi-Saiyan woman said in a sharp hiss, her eyes filled with fire. "They're in this mall? Now?"

"Hold on," Trunks said in a hazy voice, confused, "Isn't that why you thought I was spying on you?"

"NO!" Bra shouted, her eyes burning, "I thought daddy had sent you to spy on me!"

There was an eerie silence. Trunks suddenly realized he'd just made a _VERY _bad mistake in telling Bra what he'd said. A _VERY VERY _bad mistake.

"Well, actually, I'm not sure that they're here, per say," Trunks tried to explain.

"You are the worst liar I've ever met," Bra said with a snap, glaring at her brother. She reached for his head, "And take that stupid hat off, it looks so gawdy!" She whipped the hat off before Trunks could react and he saw her face whiten and her eyes grow enormous, her mouth dangling open.

Trunks sighed with a drunken stare at his sister, "Yeah, go on, laugh! Ha ha ha," He mimicked laughing as Goten had.

"What in Hell has happened to your hair?" Bra said with a shocked look of horror on her face.

"Well, it's a funny story," Trunks found that he was feeling a lot better about the situation already. Maybe it was the drinks in him, "This was part of my disguise, you see," he pointed to his hair, chuckling as he said it.

But Bra wasn't laughing as Goten had, she was staring at it in utmost horror, "Who on earth did that to your gorgeous hair?" She said in a whine. "You didn't do it yourself, did you?" She was running her hands through it, staring in shock at the black roots and strands.

"I wish," Trunks said with a hazy smile, "Pan's the one that dyed it for me," He grinned.

"EXCUSE ME?" Bra backed away from him and her face filled with fury, "Pan did this to you?"

"Well, I did agree to it," Trunks admitted, smiling. _What an amusing conversation..._

"_THAT'S IT_!" Bra stomped her foot in anger and turned towards the door, "I am getting Uub and we are going to have a nice little _chat _with miss Panny-chan and that filthy ex of mine and his lovely blonde!" She whipped around and turned to Trunks, her eyes on fire again, "You---you---" She pointed her finger at him, but couldn't think of anything to say to her brother.

"I'll--I'll what?" Trunks said leaning towards her, smiling coldly.

"You--you just stay there and drink some more!" Bra said in a huff and rushed out of the bar and grill, meeting Uub outside as the two headed off towards the direction that Trunks knew was the way that Goten and Marron had gone, Uub looking very confused.

"I have to go and warn Goten and Marron," Trunks said, slowly lowering himself from the barstool. He looked at his glass; the bartender had filled it up for him. He took a great swig of the whiskey, downing the shot, and wiped his mouth. "But not before that," He said with a drunk expression and hurried out of the bar with somewhat of a swagger to his step. He had to find Goten and Marron before Bra, or there was going to be trouble.

"I didn't see a whole lot at Tiffany and Co. this time," Pan said looking up at Marron, who had an equal expression on her face.

"I know," She said as they exited the store, "No good sales at all. Usually they have a lot of good bargains."

"Are we done yet?" Goten whined, swinging his Sojourner's bag, "I'm done shopping."

"Why is it that men never want to shop?" Pan asked Marron, who gave her a sweet smile.

"Why indeed," She said softly as she handed Goten Pan and her bags. "Goten, we're going to the ladies' room, and then when we get back we'll leave, okay?" She gave Goten a warm, sultry smile.

Goten felt his heart melt in his chest, "Okay," He said almost dreamily. Marron smiled as she led Pan to the bathroom across from the store. Goten found a bench nearby and sat down, laying the numerous bags from the various shops they'd been to beside him. He slightly regretted wanting to shop here today, but it had been very enjoyable in its own special ways. He smiled to himself thinking of Trunks' hair. _When Bulma sees that...she is going to flip! _He smiled more, thinking about the look on her face when she found out.

Just as he finished thinking about Bulma's reaction to her son's new hair color, he saw a figure weaving towards him a very hurried fashion, bumping into several people as he swaggered towards Goten, many other people moving out of the way for him. The clothes the figure was wearing told Goten that it was Trunks.

"Trunks! There you are!" Goten smiled, standing up.

The Demi-Saiyan ran into Goten and looked up at him with bloodshot eyes, "Run for it!" He whispered, and Goten could smell the whiskey on his breath.

"What?" He arched an eyebrow, "Trunks are you drunk?"

"Damn straight," Trunks smiled and swaggered a bit, placing his hand on Goten's shoulder to steady him. "You," He let out a small drunken laugh, "You've got to get out of here, man." His face broke into a smile and he laughed at Goten, "You are in troooouuuubbbbllleee," He said in a low voice.

"What are you talking about?" Goten said, his brow furrowing. Trunks was clearly inebriated, more than usual.

The hat on his head slipped just a bit, and his eyes seemed to clear for a moment, "She's here," He whispered to Goten. "Bra and Uub are in this mall, looking for you guys." His eyes seemed to scan the crowd around them, his legs wobbling a bit as he held himself steady.

"Bra's here?" Then Trunks' words hit him, "Did you just say Bra and _Uub_?" Surely he'd heard wrong.

But Trunks nodded, "That's what me and Pan were up to," The haziness back in his voice, "Bra is dating Uub! Isn't that retarded?" He swayed for a moment, his gaze focusing on the bags at their feet.

Goten was shocked. He would have never guessed Uub and Bra to be together. The idea of it was beyond odd. "I would have never...," Goten couldn't find anything else to say about it. "What does Vegeta think about that?" Was all he could manage.

"Dad doesn't know about it," Trunks whispered, and his face suddenly lit up, "But when he finds out, oooooh, it's goingggg to be baaaad," Trunks said slowly, his face drawing out the words, laughing every other syllable. Goten propped him up with his arms and made Trunks stand up by himself, but even as he did this, Trunks swayed a little.

"I haven't seen you this drunk in a while, man," Goten admitted, giving Trunks an odd stare, "Was it just whiskey or what?"

"I started out with something else," Trunks said, trying to remember, "But I'm not sure what it was. Then...then it was whiskey..."

"I can tell," Goten replied, looking over Trunks' shoulder. "So where are the two?"

"They were looking this way," Trunks said, leaning closer to Goten, "But they've been going in and out of every store. That's why I got here before them." His eyes seemed to clear again and he gave Goten a serious look, "You have to get out of here now!"

"I'm not scared of her," Goten said sternly, as Marron and Pan reappeared from the bathroom door. "If she wants to talk, let her come here and talk!" He said perhaps a little harder than he meant to. He was sure that Bra didn't scare him. _Well, almost certain. Mostly._

"Who are we talking about?" Pan asked from behind Goten. Goten spun around, Trunks still propped up by his arms. Marron gave Trunks a curious glance.

"Back already?" She said coolly. Pan gave Trunks an odd look.

Seeing that his eyes were bloodshot, she gasped, "Are you drunk, Trunks?"

Marron frowned, "It would appear so, Pan." She was obviously disappointed with him. Pan looked from Marron to Trunks. She'd never seen the Demi-Saiyan drunk before. He certainly looked silly with black hair, lavender eyebrows, bloodshot eyes, and a swagger to his step. The reaking smell of liquor also indicatied he was intoxicated as well.

"I'm not that drunk," Trunks said reaching for her, but Goten held him back. Marron gave Goten a fleeting stare,

"And you wanted to drink with him!" She said angrily. Goten shrugged and shook his head,

"I've never seen him this bad," He admitted. Suddenly he felt a presence around him, but if was too late to do anything about it. She was already there.

"It's because of that ridiculous hair job," a voice said in a angered tone. The four looked up to see Bra standing in front of them, her hands on her hips, looking at the four with pure contempt. Uub was behind her, a mountainous stack of shopping bags and boxes piled in his arms.

"IT'S HER!" Trunks yelled hazily, grabbing Goten's sleeve, "The jig's up! Run for it!" He looked over Goten's shoulders and appeared as if he was going to run, but Goten held him steady.

"Easy man," Goten said sternly, and Trunks stopped, his face blushing as if he seemed to realize how childish he was being.

He turned and gave Bra a false look of happiness at seeing her, "Hey, sis! There was some crazy woman behind you," He pretended to look over her shoulder, "But she went into that store over there, so no worries, then!" He laughed nervously.

"I'm sure there was," She said coldly, and her eyes' gaze traveled from Trunks to Goten, where they stopped for a moment, then suddenly went to Marron and Pan. "So," She said softly, her dark blue eyes piercing, "So nice to see all of you," She said with false sweetness.

"Same here," Goten said anxiously, looking from Marron to Bra and back to Marron. The two girls were staring fiercely at one another, and while they both seemed calm above the surface, Goten knew that deep down, both wouldn't mind taking each other out right here and now.

Pan, who had no idea what was going on, looked at Bra with an innocent smile, "Good to see you too, Bra!" She smiled.

Bra took her eyes of Marron and gave Pan an ugly stare, "You're the one that ruined my brother's perfect hair?"

Pan looked like she'd been slapped in the face, "Uh, well, actually, it's not ruined, really. It'll wash out in about ten or twelve--"

"It's ruined," Bra repeated, her eyes sharp and cold. Pan stopped talking, her face looking hurt. Bra turned and stared in frustration at her brother's ebony locks. "Perfectly good lavender hair, that hideous color," She said to herself, but loud enough so Pan could hear.

Marron stepped in front of Pan, "Cut it out, Bra. She didn't mean for it to look like that." Pan was thankful that Marron had stood up for her, but Goten knew it was not going to get any better from here on out.

"Of course she did, Marron," Bra replied with a sneer, "She did it so Trunks could spy on me without me noticing." She smiled as she saw Marron's face crumple a small bit, and Pan's face turn a shade paler.

"You know?" Pan said in almost a whisper.

"Trunks fessed up," Bra said with a smirk, looking towards Trunks and Goten, who remained silent, "I knew it was him already, in those horrible clothes--"

"Those are my dad's," Pan said threateningly.

Bra paused for a moment and looked at Pan, whose fists were clenched, "Like I said," She repeated louder, "In those horrible clothes, it wasn't hard to tell it was a disguise."

Pan's cheeks turned red, but Marron didn't let her step in front of herself. "Bra, go away," She said fiercely, her voice remaining calm, but firm.

Bra stood for a moment as if she was going to lash out at Marron, but instead she smiled evilly and ran a hand through her long blue hair, her gaze turing from Marron to Goten and Trunks. "So good to see all of you," She smiled and turned towards Uub, whom no one had seemed to notice, which was partially due to the fact that he was buried under all of Bra's purchases. "Uub, you can put those down for the moment." No sooner had she said this, Uub dropped the sacks and boxes, which toppled into a pile at his feet.

Uub raised a hand to scratch the back of his head and nodded slowly to the group, "Erm, hello everyone," He said with a slight shyness to his voice. Marron and Pan nodded their heads curtiously, but Trunks gave Uub a harsh glare. Goten merely looked at Uub expressionless. Uub felt his face reddening as the group stared at him. But Bra was smiling that typical smile of hers that signaled she had the entire situation worked out and under control. It was that smile that worried him the most.

"Uub was so nice to come and help me shop today," Bra said sweetly, a sly smile playing on her face. She laid a hand on Uub's shoulder. "Unlike another certain Saiyan whom I won't mention," She said with a resentful edge to her voice.

"Maybe because that Saiyan didn't want to get dragged around like a rag doll all day," Goten said in a booming voice. Several shoppers began stopping in their places to see what the commotion was. Pan seemed to be the only one that noticed this; as everyone else in the small group were too focused on Bra and Goten.

"Oh, please," Bra said with an agitated smile, "What do you call this right now, Goten?" She motioned to him and the bags at his own feet. "You're doing the same thing you were with me! Different girl, same thing, you filthy hypocrite!" She spat.

"At least Marron's not a whiny, selfish, overbearing, disrespecting tramp!" Goten spat back. Trunks snapped his head around to Goten for a split second, looking defensive and tense. Goten suddenly beared an aplogetic look to his friend, "Sorry, man," He said to Trunks.

"Ah, she's your ex," Trunks replied with a grim smile. Goten was his best friend, so he could get away with it, he supposed.

Bra gave Trunks a bitter look and then smiled back to Goten, seeming uneffected by the names he'd called her, "Is that it, Goten? Is that your best? You still can't say one thing to me that's going to hurt anymore than you leaving me," She turned from him and walked towards Uub.

Goten frowned, "So, is Uub your rebound or something?"

Bra spun around so fast that it caused the others to take a step backwards, "NO! He isn't, Goten! For your information, Uub is my boyfriend now! Not some lame rebound, or anything like that! But now that you mention it, how about little blondie over there?" She pointed to Marron, who looked offended, "Is she YOUR rebound?"

"You know she's not," Goten said firmly, stepping closer to Marron. Despite the crowd growing around them, Pan still seemed to be the only one noticing it. She tried to motion to the others, but no one would listen to them.

"Oh, that's right," Bra said, with mock thoughtfullness, "You two are only together because of a piece of fruit!"

"Goten," Marron said threateningly, trying to rush at Bra. Goten took the hint and held her back as she had meant to ask him. Pan slowly made her way towards Trunks, who seemed to be out of place at the moment.

"That's right, Goten, hold her back," Bra said with an evil smile. "Tell me," She said gazing at the two, "Is she all you dreamed of, Goten?"

Goten smiled the first twisted cruel smile Pan or Marron had ever seen him smile, "She's better than you could ever dream of being," He paused and smiled broader, "In all aspects."

Bra's smile faltered a bit, a frown starting to form on her face. But before it could surface, she composed herself with a sigh and walked slowly over to Uub, placing a hand on his shoulder. Uub, who didn't know what to do, merely looked at her.

"In all aspects, huh," She said, repeating his words. Uub felt her hand grasp ahold of the back of his neck. Somehow, he knew what was coming. "I beg to differ, Goten." With that, she pulled Uub to her and kissed him openly in public. And it wasn't just a peck either, it was a full, head-on passionate kiss.

Trunks' mouth dropped open in surprise and anger, Goten merely stood watching them, his eyes wide; Marron was looking slightly pink in the face, and Pan looked more green than any color.

"Ooooooh," Pan said finally amid the silence of the group and the crowd forming around them. "So that's what 'snogging' looks like!" She looked towards Trunks, but he looked too furious for words.

Marron and Goten looked towards her for an explanation, but that's when they noticed the gathering of people around them. Goten gave the crowd an angry stare, while Marron looked slightly petrified that all the people were looking not just at Bra and Uub, but at them as well.

When Bra finally let Uub go from their kiss, she turned to give Goten a satisfied glance. "Well, I must say that he's better than you _have _ever hoped and dreamed of being," She smirked a very Vegeta-like grin, "In _EVERY _aspect as well."

Goten went red in the face, while it was Marron's turn to hold him back. Pan and Trunks looked at each other, and then at the crowd around them, neither capable of saying anything. It wasn't sure who looked angrier, Marron or Goten. Uub had a very confused and yet somewhat elated look about him, as if he couldn't believe that moment had just happened, but knew it had been coming for some time.

"I think," Goten finally said, gritting his teeth and grabbing the sacks at his feet, "That it may be time we go, Marron."

Marron nodded her head and motioned towards Pan, who came to her and Goten. Trunks moved behind them. Bra walked back towards Goten and Marron, her blue hair swishing in the cascading light from above them. She smiled down at Pan with an evil grin.

"One day, Pan," She said sweetly, "Maybe you'll grow up and be a big girl like me, and not," She paused and looked at Marron from head to toe, smiling, "look like a flat, scrawny bag of bones like her."

Marron's mouth dropped open, but no words could come out, she was so horrified by what her former best friend had said to her. The crowd gasped collectively, and several giggled. Goten noticed the crowd, and placing a hand on Marron's shoulder's motioned for her to go ahead of him. Marron, her eyes damp, stormed away from Bra, her mouth still slightly open in shock. Pan, who seemed shaken, followed suit.

"Goodbye!" Bra said with a broad grin, waving merrily to the three, who didn't even look back to her.

"See you later, Trunks," Was all that left Goten's mouth as the three disappeared into the thick of the people in the mall.

Trunks watched them vanish into the sea of people and turned to stare at his sister, who was placing bags and boxes back onto Uub's open arms. He grabbed his sister's arm as she bent down to retrieve one of the shopping bags and whispered low into her ear,

"You think after that little incident, I'm not going to tell father?" His voice hissed in her ear.

Bra smiled and looked her brother in the eye, "Oh, not drunk anymore, are we Trunks?" She said with a voice like poisoned honey.

Trunks' face paled, "No, I'm quite sober now, actually."

"Good," Bra said, now here voice a hiss of a whisper, "Because Dad's been onto you about your drinking habits and how it ruins your training, and I'd hate to let him see the bar tab I picked up after you left," She reached for her purse and showed a small white slip that contained the list of all the drinks he'd ordered and the prices of each one. It wasn't a cheap bill.

Trunks' face turned a ghostly shade of white, as he smiled weakly at his sister, "You little--"

"You keep me and Uub's relationship a secret," Bra said with a threatening smile, "And I'll keep this little piece of paper locked away forever," She slipped it back into her purse and stood up, placing another bag into Uub's outstretched arms. Trunks regained some color to his face and turned from his sister.

"Fine, it's a deal then," He said with a hollow voice, "Now, If you'll excuse me I have to get back home and start washing this black out of my hair," With that he headed towards the Tiffany and Co. exit doors, ready to fly home and get away from the still staring crowd, amazed that he'd let his hair be dyed for what turned out to be a waste of time and hair color products.

Bra placed the last bag onto Uub's arms and motioned for him to follow her. A few more stores, and then Bra was going to feel like dinner. _Perhaps we should eat out...or maybe a drive in..._

As they left, Uub couldn't have felt more out of place or uncomfortable. He'd obviously made a lot of his friends angry at him, and _if he were smart_, his mind warned him,_ he'd get out of the relationship with Bra as soon as possible and leave her to find some other man to torment Goten with. _But that was just it, he couldn't leave her. Even as she was ushering him into Tiffany and Co.'s in an annoyed fashion and bickering at him to hurry up, some part of him couldn't resist liking her. _What's wrong with me? _He thought as she followed behind him. He couldn't seem to find the answer.

Trunks made it home just as the sun started to shift from the center of the sky and towards the West. He was certain that Bulma was taking her usual afternoon nap and that he could make it to the bathroom and start washing his hair out. He pulled his grandfather's hat over his head just as a safety procaution and threw the tweed jacket on a lounge chair on their porch. He'd slip into his regular clothes and take Gohan's back later on--

Then it hit him, _DAD! I still haven't sparred with him! _Trunks groaned and placed his head in his hands. _He is going to be so angry...and he's going to take it out on me, isn't he? Damn, _Trunks flew up to his bedroom window, on the other side of the house where the bathroom was and quickly changed into his training clothes. He still kept the hat on, knowing good and well it would only prolong what was coming...

He entered the training chamber to find his father kicking and punching at the air so hard, the air around them was forceful enough to knock a person against the walls of the training chamber. Trunks slowly eased towards the side of the chamber, the hat still tight on his head. The door of the facility slammed shut, causing Vegeta to abruptly stop and spin around to see who'd entered. When he saw it was his son, he relaxed his muscles and smiled that trademark smirk.

"So," He announced loudly, "Decided to show up, have you?"

"It," He paused, collecting himself, "has been a long day."

"Oh, I'm sure," Vegeta said with false sympathy, "So busy running errands, such a tedious, strenuous thing to do." He stretched his arms as Trunks took off his shoes and socks, a usual ritual that Trunks and his father kept. Trunks got into his fighting stance and prepared for the onslaught that Vegeta had been building up all morning and afternoon. But his father didn't move a muscle.

"Are we going to spar or not?" Trunks said impatiently, bending slightly at his knees to help prepare himself for the attack. But Vegeta remained motionless. "What?"

"I'm waiting," Vegeta said cold and slowly, "For you to take that ridiculous hat off."

Trunks groaned, "Do I have to?"

"Why not? How am I supposed to take this training seriously with that moth eated cloth purse on your head?" Vegeta said with a sharp scowl.

Trunks glared at Vegeta and knowing good and well what was coming, and quickly ripped off the hat and threw it by his shoes and socks. For a moment, Trunks was sure he could have heard his sweat on his face fall to the floor, it was so quiet. Vegeta stared at his son and his eyes moved slowly from Trunks' hair to his eyes. Then, rather than laughing his head off, which is what Trunks expected, his father merely got into a fighting stance and smirked,

"Not bad," His father replied to the silence, "But tell me, why didn't you dye your eyebrows as well?"

"What did you say?" Trunks couldn't believe his father was acting this calm and okay about it.

"I said why didn't you dye your eyebrows to match your hair. Then it wouldn't look so damn bad!" Vegeta said, powering up.

"So you don't think it's retarded?" Trunks said, powering up as well.

"It's a lot better than that patch of purple-pink hair that you usually sport. I told Bulma she should have dyed it black at birth anyway," He said with a vicious grin.

Trunks instantly felt better that his father approved of his hair color, "Well, it's only temporary, so you'll have to get used to my old hair again," He said with a smirk that could have matched Vegeta's in every way.

At that moment, Vegeta felt a sense of pride in his son that he'd felt only few times before. Gazing at the boy, Vegeta realized that Trunks truly was his son, in his smirk that he was showing now, in the way that he stood before sparring, and in the way his brow was starting to curve downward in that royal Vegeta lineage way that had been passed down through the entire Saiyan bloodline. Vegeta smiled inside himself, _Truly he is my son. _Of course, Vegeta wasn't going to let Trunks off easy because of the pride he saw in his son now. No, his son would learn not to keep his father waiting today. That was a lesson the boy needed to know.

"Shame," Vegeta finally replied, the smirk on his face showing to match Trunks', both of them powered up now. "Save your hat until it turns back to normal, son, then you can wear it."

With those words being said, Trunks and his father started their spar, both unleashing all that they had built up throughout the day, whether it was pride, anger, resentment, bitterness, or something else, they let it go in the training chamber. Both giving their all, because they knew the other would except no less.

_**So? How was that little chapter? I wanted to get it done before tommorrow when I go, and I'm so glad I did! Yay! I know two weeks is a long time, but I think that the three chapters I've posted in the last week are enough to keep you busy for a little while anyway!**_

_**Hey, I would like your guys' help on something! If, for some reason, and I'm not saying it WILL happen, or not, but if Bra and Uub had a child, what do you think it should be? boy or girl? And what should its name be? I'm just curious to any responses I get for this question...it may or MAY NOT happen in the story...who knows? Just curious of your opinions!**_

_**So, next chapter, Marron's feeling down about herself, so Goten decides to help her feel better...in more ways than one! hmmm...and Trunks gets an earful about his hair from a certain mom! LOL, so stay tuned for the next chapter, and please feel free to read and review with any comments you have for me!**_

_**Thanks guys! You all rock! Hope you guys' summers are a blast so far! Thanks so much for the reviews! Peace out and Rock ROCK ON!**_

_**Romania Black**_


	16. Day ThreeFour, Pure and Simple

The Taming of the Saiyan

By Romania Black

_**I seriously thought that I wouldn't get this chapter done before I came back, but the words seemed to flow out of me for this chapter, and I did it in like half a day! I was amazed...so this is DEFINATELY the last update until I come back! Hope you like it!**_

_**Well, time for Chapter Sixteen! I've been debating on going and doing another first person chapter with Marron...but everytime I think of doing it, I don't know, I get discouraged. What do you guys think? Should I? I don't know...maybe one in Goten's POV! Or Trunks? Hmmm...I may have to wait and hear some opinions about that before doing it...Only time will tell, of course! For now, we're keeping it in third person, which for me is MUCH more flexible...**_

_**Disclaimer: Okay, I own nothing of Akira Toriyama, but if he DID want to use any of my ideas...well, uh, GO FOR IT! LOL**_

_**We're still rated T for Teen, for alcohol references/consumption, mild violence, brief language, and in this chapter especially, sexual themes! wink wink 66**_

_**Reviews:**_

**_Witch of Erie Knoll: LOL, yeah Vegeta's odd like that isn't he? I know, I love his lavender hair too! Don't worry, after this chapter, the black hair WILL fade out...but of course, as it does in real life, it'll take a little while before it's gone for good...but no worries! Thanks for the review! Hope you enjoy this chapter too!_**

**_Kumori Ookami: LOL, I love that line too! Bra is very cruel in this story, isn't she? I think Trunks only puts up with her because she's his sister and he feels obligated to...or at least that's my theory! LOL I loved writing that chapter, and this one too! Hope you like it just as much as the last one! Thanks a million for the review!_**

_**You guys have no idea how much you make my day! ALL OF YOU! You are all awesome! Thanks so much for the Reviews! Enjoy!**_

_**Romania Black**_

Chapter Sixteen: Day Three/Four, Pure and Simple

She hadn't said a whole lot in a long time. She just laid there in his arms as they flew back, her head against his chest; her eyes distant and misty. He had never seen her look so crushed; so weak. It almost scared him to see her so quiet and sad. Goten ran his hand through Marron's hair as they started to slowly reach the Roshi house, trying in some way to comfort her, but to no avail.

Pan had been quieter than usual on the way back too. Goten supposed that it was because of Bra's attitude at the mall. She could be cruel and harsh, Goten knew that first hand, but Pan had never really been around her bad side to see it as he had. The Demi-Saiyan frowned as he looked at her solemn face, he knew she was hurt, but he also knew she was strong willed, and would bounce back from it. She always did from a fall.

"Thanks for having me with you guys," Pan said slowly, as the three descended onto the island. "It was...fun, I guess," There was no doubt a sadness in her voice.

"I'm glad you came, Pan," Goten said, patting her on the shoulder. Marron was already headed towards the door, still silent. Goten looked sadly at Pan and then to Marron and back to his neice, who had a concerned look on her face.

"Is she going to be alright?" Pan asked, a worried expression on her face. Goten sighed, running a hand to his head. For the first time in a good long while he honestly didn't know what was going to happen next. He'd never seen her this void of feeling. Ever.

"I'm sure she will be," Goten said finally, trying to assure Pan that things were going to be alright. "I'll talk to her and find out what's bugging her."

"I know what's buggin her," Pan said, slightly bitter, "It's what Bra said. You heard what she called Marron!" She said with a firm voice.

Goten couldn't imagine how that would hurt someone that much, they were only words, after all. "I'm sure she'll get over it, whatever it is," Goten said, trying to press Pan into the discussion further.

Pan obviously took the hint, because she shrugged her shoulders and turned from Goten, "If you say so," She said in almost a mumble.

"You could stay longer if you wanted to," Goten said, wondering if he'd scared her off, "You don't have to go."

"Thanks, but I'd better leave," Pan said, a small smile piercing her face, "Dad'll be home soon with Grandpa and I'd like to be there when they get back. But thanks for the offer. See ya, Uncle Goten!" She shouted and waved, ascending into the air and shooting off towards her home.

Goten waved goodbye to her just as the sun was starting to set in the western sky. The sky was mostly red and orange, but the blue above the clouds was slowly draping its way across the sky, darkening it. Goten stared at it for a moment, then made his way into Roshi's house.

He found Marron sitting on the couch, her knees brought up towards her face, burying it. She didn't look up to Goten as he made his way towards her, but her voice was as clear as a silver bell,

"Why did you ever date her?" She asked in a steely tone.

Goten scratched his head, thinking, "I'm not sure why now, but I knew at the time why."

Marron lifted her head from her knees with a snap, and he saw that they were red from crying, "Oh, and what was the reason way back when?" She asked him with hatred and bitterness in every word she said, "Was it because of the sex, Goten? Was that it?"

"You say it so casually," Goten replied, pacing the lliving room, his arms crossed. "Back then I thought I loved her."

"Because you two were doing it?" Marron said in an icy tone.

"What is with you and that topic?" Goten shouted back, angry. "Everything has to revolve around that subject with you! Noticed that?"

"Don't be dumb," She said hatefully, "That day at the bar, you were practically bragging about it to me! You and HER both!" She remembered. It seemed like so long ago, but she remembered that day. Goten seemed so different now than he seemed back then for some reason.

"I was different that day! All those days! Before," He paused, and his face turned slightly red.

"Before what?" Marron asked him, her voice not as angry as before, but still icy.

"Before I saw you that day," Goten finished, the red not leaving his cheeks.

Marron stared at him, unable to say anything. She gazed up at his dark eyes and found that they were staring back at her. He sat down on the couch beside her and placed a hand on her leg. His hands were warm against her cold skin. He looked at her leg and grinned reminiscently,

"I remember that day too," He said softly, "We had always been friends before then, but nothing too much more than that. Until that day, you came in and offered me that number and that's when I realized..." He paused, his eyes losing focus for a moment.

"What did you realize?" Marron asked him quietly.

"That Bra wasn't the only girl in the world," He said with a smile, his eyes now focusing on her, clear and dark as the night. "Before you came in that bar, everytime I wanted to break up with her, Bra would make me think that there was no other girl in the world; that she was the only one." Marron merely stared at him, "I know, it's a stupid thought, but I seriously think I believed her. Everytime I tried to get away from her and focus on someone else, nothing happened. No sparks, no romance, just emptiness."

"And what did I do to make you realize all this?" Marron asked slowly.

Goten smiled broadly, a very Goku-like smile, "I don't know. But when you entered that bar, somehow, I saw a spark. I had a feeling suddenly as if I could get over Bra and go on with my life. It was instant, I remember it. And immediately, I just wanted to be with you. I don't know why...I just did." The redness in his face was gone, but there was still pink in his cheeks. "This must sound really corny and dumb, doesn't it?"

"Coming from Vegeta, maybe," Marron said, as a small playful smile started to form on her face.

Goten leaned towards her, "Ever since that night, the days before with Bra seem like a blur. But I've remembered everything that's happened with you ever since the night of the dinner at Le' Bueche." He tried to rub her leg with his hand, but she shoved it off, the anger rising in her face again.

"About that night," She said with an angry frown, "It's your fault Bra and I are on such bad terms!"

"How?" Goten asked her curiously, examining the hand she'd shoved off her knee.

"If you had called and told her you didn't want to eat out with her, we could have avoided the entire fight!" She said coldly, turning her head from him so that she was starting towards the kitchen instead of at Goten.

"I couldn't call her then, Marron," Goten explained, with a pleading look, "She would have coaxed me into going out with her again!" He paused, "I was in a vulnerable state!"

"Vulnerable?" Marron laughed harshly, "The powerful Super Saiyan vulnerable to Bra?" She huffed, "I don't think so."

"It's true," Goten sighed, placing a hand to her face to draw her head back towards him, "She would've seduced me right back into her lap," He snapped his fingers, "Just like that."

"You're that easy?" Marron said, a slightly evil, 18-ish smile spreading across her soft face.

"That's what she'd tell you anyway," Goten replied with a slight frown.

"Still, you should've told her," Marron snapped.

"Does it matter now?" Goten said with an amused stare. "Funny how fate works out..." His voice trailed off.

"What do you mean?" Marron asked slowly, her body seeming to edge towards him involuntarily.

"Don't you see?" Goten smiled, "If I had called her, we probably would have never had that dinner date. And even if we had, she wouldn't have fought with us, you would have never have ended up staying at my house, the fruit wouldn't have been eaten, and we wouldn't be here now." He sighed, having said that all at once.

Marron stared at him in silence for a moment. She knew in her heart that fate had intervened _long _before the dinner they had shared together. It had intervened that day at Capsule Corp. when Trunks' partner had called in sick. Had that not happened, Marron wasn't sure what she'd be doing now.

She gave him a skeptical stare, nonetheless, "Are you suggesting that would be a bad thing?"

Goten sighed with a hopeless stare at her, "Forget it," He said and this time it was him that turned away.

Marron gazed down at her legs, which seemed cold and meaningless without the warmth of his hand on them. She looked up at Goten, desperate to know something that she was sure he wouldn't answer to.

"How many--that is, how many times, have you," She paused and waited until he looked directly at her, "and Bra--?"

"How many?" Goten asked, his eyes widening slightly, eyebrows raised. He seemed to think for a moment in the silence and then cast Marron a dark look, "And you won't tell anyone?" He said to her with slight pleading gleam in his eye.

"Not a soul," Marron said bluntly, "I just want to know."

Goten sighed hesitantly, then a grim smile broke onto his face, "Once."

"What?" Marron couldn't believe it. She expected him to say at least five or six, "Only once?" She threw him a sideways glance.

"Yeah," Goten said clearly, despite his reddening face. "Surprising, huh?"

"Considering the fact that you two bragged on that one time as if it had been a million, yes," Marron said, her arms crossed across her chest, her legs drawn tightly to her. Goten stared at her with an offended look.

"Oh, and how many times have you and your lover...or previous lover...done it?" He said, his eyebrows raising, casting her a challenging look.

Marron's face flushed, but her eyes were steady and her voice calm and cool as a cucumber, "Never have," She said softly.

"Really?" It was Goten's turn to be surprised.

"Me and this guy almost did," Marron said with an awkward sigh, raising a hand to scratch the back of her head, "But I decided not to. I wanted to wait, I guess." She also knew her parents would personally break every bone in her and his body if they had found out.

_I would have never thought..._Goten thought to himself in wonder, "Wow, Marron. I would have never guessed."

"Guessed what? That I'm still a virgin?" Marron said, her eyes wide with anger.

"Well," Goten realized that's exactly what he thought, "Yeah. I mean, I would have thought that someone that looks as good as you would have already been with a guy in that way..."

Marron's face turned crimson, "You think I look that good?"

"Duh," Goten smiled a goofy Goku smile, "Why wouldn't I?"

"Well, with what Bra said and everything," Marron stared at the floor, her face showing hurt as she remembered her words, "I figured you wouldn't think a flat chested bag of bones to be pretty."

"I don't think you're a flat chested bag of bones, Marron," Goten said with a gentle smile, "That's just Bra talking. She's just jealous, that's all."

"And what reason would she have to be jealous of?" Marron had never really said anything about it, but she always was nit picking about her looks. She didn't have the chest that any of the other girls had, and she was thin as a rail, just like her mother. She didn't exactly have the curvy, sensual shape that Bra had.

"She's jealous that I've found someone just as beautiful, if not more, as her and that I'm happy with you," Goten explained, that same goofy smile stuck on his face. He placed a hand on her knee, and she felt the warmth coming back to it.

"That's so sweet," Marron admitted, a small giggle breaking loose from her throat.

"So," Goten leaned towards her. "You want to sleep beside me?" He said with a smooth gesture of his hand, running it through her blonde hair.

"Beside you--?"

"Like that night, after dinner. We can pretend you beat up Bra at the mall," Goten smiled, a childish grin playing on his features, as he jumped up and stood on the couch, "And you can't go home because you have a bruise on your head!"

Marron actually laughed, "Are you serious?" She said with a skeptical smile.

"Yes, and then I'll carry you to my bedroom," He lifted a surprised Marron up into his arms as they walked towards Roshi's room. "And I'll get under the covers, and you get on top of them, and we'll sleep beside each other just like that night."

Marron stared into Goten's eyes and realized he was serious. There was something else in his eyes too, something that until that moment had never truly shown itself before. It was a look she'd only seen her parents and every other married couple give each other. It was a look of undivided and unchallenged love. Marron smiled and nodded her head,

"You're so silly sometimes, Goten," She said softly, and leaned towards him kissing him on the cheek, "And yet so sweet too."

Goten accepted her kiss and laid her on Roshi's bed, turning to fetch some blankets. "Do you think so?" He said, rumaging through the bedroom closet, looking for a blanket.

"Know so," Marron said with a sensual smile. Goten seemed to immediately find a blanket after her saying that and laid it beside her.

"I'm not sure what it was used for," He said with a playful smile and Marron gave it a disgusted look, "But it smells like it's been washed, so I'd say it's safe!" He smiled and pulled back the covers on his side of the bed, looking outside the window and seeing how dark it was already.

"We don't have to go to bed this early," Marron said with a smile.

"No, but we can sit here and chat right?" He motioned for Marron to turn around, and she realized he was changing into his sleeping pants and shirt. After a moment, "I'm good now." Marron turned to see him in a pair of gray pants and an orange shirt. Marron got up and walked to the bathroom, changed into an oversized blue t-shirt and black shorts.

She walked back into the bedroom and Goten's eyes widened a fair bit. "Wow, you look incredible...in blue," He said with a smirk.

Marron giggled and crawled under the blanket he'd laid out for her. "I'll take that as a compliment."

"You'd better," Goten smiled as they both laid on their sides, facing one another, him under the sheets and her on top of the sheets.

"What do you want to talk about?" She asked him curiously.

"I don't know, what's on your mind?" Goten asked her, his gaze on her blonde hair.

_You, _Marron thought immediately, but she held it in. Suddenly a thought came to her head, "Flying."

"What about it?"

"I mean, how do you do it?" Marron asked him. She really didn't care to learn how to, but she had always wanted to know how it was done.

"You're parents never taught you, did they?" Goten said with a small frown.

"I wouldn't have needed you to carry me to town if they had," She replied with a cunning grin.

"Good point. Well," Goten realized how hard this would be to explain. "It's difficult to just say how it's done, really. It's more of a hands-on thing."

"Could you teach me?" Marron asked at once, not thinking about the question.

"Teach you?" Goten had never taught anyone to fly before. "Well, I suppose. I mean, Gohan taught me and Videl a long time ago. I suppose I could explain how it's done to you." He paused and stared at her suddenly, "Why do you want to know?"

"I just figured that maybe if I knew how to fly, I wouldn't be so afraid of heights," She said matter-of-factly.

"I see," Goten yawned, not expecting himself to be that tired. "Tell you what, in the morning, I can start giving you lessons."

"Really?" Marron said with a deep breath, "You'd do that?"

"Sure," Goten smiled at her innocent face, "We have the rest of the week to learn, don't we?"

Marron leaned towards Goten, her face full of joy, "That'd be wonderful, Goten!" She said as she kissed his other cheek.

Goten smiled, ignoring the fact that his face was burning, "We'll start tommorrow morning, bright and early."

"How about not so bright and early, and just in the morning?" Marron said with a small laugh.

"Fair enough," Goten said with a smile, as he gave her a kiss in return. Her face didn't blush, but the warmth of the kiss spread throughout her entire body. She smiled back at him, and sighed happily.

"So I guess this is goodnight?" She asked him, yawning slightly.

"Unless you have more to talk about," Goten said with a slight smile. But Marron shook her head,

"I'm too tired now," She said with another yawn, "Besides, I want to get up a little early to start our lessons."

"As you wish," Goten said with a sincere smile. He turned around and hit the light switch, and the two were encased in darkness.

Marron and Goten sat for a long time in the silence of the room, and while it was dark, the moonlight that filtered into the room through the blinds allowed the two to see each other's silhouette's and the whites of their eyes and teeth. Goten smiled to Marron and wondered if she saw it. It turned out she did, because she smiled back and stuck out her tongue playfully. Goten laughed,

"Why do you tempt me like that?" He asked her poking her in the arm.

Marron sighed and rested her head on her pillow, "I'm not tempting you. Just playing."

"Yeah, well playing and tempting must be close to the same with you," Goten smirked as he laid his head down as well.

The two stared at each other in the darkness. _She's so gorgeous, _Goten thought to himself.

_He's something else, _Marron thought to herself, _So sweet, but such a goofball sometimes--_

"I am not a goofball!" Goten shouted out into the darkness.

**_SLAP! _**

****Marron's hand echoed across Goten's face, and he realized he shouldn't have said that. _OW!_

"_STOP _reading people's minds!" Marron exclaimed, giving him a sly look.

"O--okay," Goten stammered, rubbing his burning cheek, but a smile was spread across his face as he did this.

The two were encased in silence again, but both could see each other in the moonlight. After a moment, or what could have been hours, Goten finally couldn't put off sleeping any longer, and he slowly fell asleep. Marron stared at him in the darkness for a moment, making sure he was truly sleeping. His loud sudden snoring proved that he wasn't awake to the world anymore. As she laid on her back, she glanced over to the Saiyan beside her and felt a sudden attachment to him she hadn't had before.

_Goten you are such a goofball, _she thought before she fell asleep. _And that's why I think I love you..._

Trunks was very certain that he'd been let off easy. Usually when him and his dad sparred, he recalled feeling a lot more sore than he did that morning. All he really remembered doing after the sparring was crawling to bed, sore, but not immobile like he usually was. He wondered why his father had let him step out of the chamber with only a few scratches and some medium sized whelps on his head and legs. It didn't make much sense. But then again, his father thinking his hair was nice looking wasn't exactly what he'd consider normal either.

Just as Trunks raised his head from his pillow, he noticed the figure at the door. It was Vegeta, and he was looking rather amused about something. Trunks sighed and let his head fall back onto the pillow.

"What's the matter, son? Too sore to get up?" Vegeta snorted with his trademark smirk.

"It's not as bad as it usually is," Trunks said, giving Vegeta a challenging grin, "You're growing softer, dad."

Vegeta's eyes grew wide with instant fury, "Oh is THAT what you think?" He spat.

"Why else would you let me off that easy?" Trunks said into his pillow.

"Oh no real reason," Vegeta walked towards Trunks' bed and leaned towards his pillow. "By the way, nice hair."

"I couldn't get it all to wash out last night, but I think another good washes or two and it'll start to fade---" Trunks lifted his head up off the pillow suddenly, staring at his father, who had a devilish grin spread across his face. "What did you say?"

"Not that sore, huh son?" The devilish grin on the Saiyain Prince's face grew wider, "So I guess that means your in perfect condition to walk down and eat breakfast with the rest of the family?"

Suddenly the reason his father had gone easy on him became clear. Vegeta knew that if Trunks was too sore, he wouldn't be able to get out of bed the next day or at least until Bulma was asleep and he could rinse the hair color out of his head. But since Vegeta hadn't beat him senseless as he usually did, he'd have to get out and go downstairs, causing Bulma to see his black hair, and more than likely, have to listen to her freak out.

"You," Trunks said to his father, his eyes narrowing, "You knew--"

"Did you really think I'd let you get off easy without a reason?" His father scowled, as if he expected his son to know better.

"Dad, I can't," he thought of all the things his mother would say...and do, "I'm too sore--"

"Don't give me that crap," Vegeta said with a frown, throwing off the bed sheets and hoisting Trunks to his feet. He gave his son an evil smirk, "Go on, son. Breakfast is done."

Trunks turned and gave his father a sour glare, "You know, sometimes--"

"Quit talking and go!" Vegeta pushed him out the door and called out to him as he stumbled down the steps, "It's your favorite too, son!"

_Shut up, _Trunks thought grumpily as he entered the kitchen, _Can't believe he'd do this to me..._

"Trunks is that you?" Bulma had her back to Trunks, putting icing on the cinnamon rolls beside her. "Was dad rough on you last night?"

"Not like he usually is," Trunks said, waiting for her to turn around.

"Well that's good for a change," Bulma said merrily, turning around to see him, "Maybe that means he--"

She stopped talking and froze in her tracks as she saw Trunks and his hair. Trunks was waiting on it. _Here it comes...5...4...3...2...1..._

_Here it comes..._Vegeta thought as he walked down the stairs, smirking as he walked, _...5...4...3...2...1..._

_"**TRUNKS! OH MY GOD! WHAT IS THAT ON YOUR HEAD!"**_

****Just as Vegeta walked into the room, he saw Bulma strangling Trunks on the ground, trying to rip out his hair, her eyes bulging out of her sockets. Vegeta, hardly taking notice of his wife or his son who was screaming out his name, walked past them and towards the cinnamon rolls on the counter.

"MOM! STOP! DAD!" Trunks cried out amid his mother's rantings, "HELP!"

Vegeta popped a cinnamon roll, and munched on it, motioning to his full mouth chewing the food. His expression clearly stated, _I can't talk now, I'm eating! _But Trunks knew that smirk. He knew Vegeta was loving every moment of this.

Trunks groaned and tried to break free from his mom, which proved harder than he would have liked.

"TRUNKS I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU! WHY ON EARTH DID YOU DO THIS TO YOUR HAIR? WHO DID THIS? YOU BETTER NOT HAVE DONE THIS?" She screamed. Trunks tried to pull away, but since she had her hands on his hair, it wasn't the easiest thing to do.

"It--ow!---was---OW!--an accident!" Trunks cried out, as Bulma was tugging at his locks, trying to see if the roots were black too.

"That brat of Kakarott's brat did it," Vegeta finally acknowledged, swallowing the cinnamon roll.

"Pan?" Bulma said, her voice startling calmer, but her grip still tight on his hair. "PAN DID THIS? WHY?"

Trunks' face whitened a bit, as he remembered the bar tab in Bra's purse, "Uh---"

"Yes, son," Vegeta said raising an eyebrow, "How did you come upon that amazing idea to dye your hair?"

Trunks' face was white, as he swallowed loudly, "I don't know, we were just goofing around," _God, do you realize how stupid you sound? _

"GOOFING AROUND? YOU CALL THIS GOOFING AROUND?" Bulma screamed at him.

Vegeta didn't look convinced at all. Trunks felt the sweat pour from his forehead to his chin. _This is not good. This is not good at all!_

Goten slowly opened his eyes, the sunlight filtering into the room through the blinds. The first thing he noticed was Marron. She was facing him, but she was definately asleep, her breathing soft and light. Goten must have spent several minutes just looking at her. Her mouth was open just barely, in a cute and innocent fashion, and the sound of her breath seemed to transfix him in an instant. He stared at her and realized that he could get used to this; watching her sleep that is. He didn't know why, but there was a carefree calm to watching her, and he liked it.

However, Goten knew that the sooner they started their lessons, the better. He wasn't sure how long it would take to teach her how to fly.

"Marron," He whispered, nudging her on the arm. Slowly, she opened her eyes and as soon as she saw him, a smile broke onto her face.

"Good morning, Goten," She said yawning softly, "Sleep good?"

"You?" He smiled.

"I guess," She said and sat up in the bed. "So are you still wanting to teach me how to fly?"

"Are you still wanting to learn?" He replied, a sly grin on his face as he sat up in bed beside her.

"That's a no brainer," Marron said with a sly grin, stretching her arms.

Goten smiled and gazed at her face with a look of awe and amusement. The sunlight made her hair seem to glow, and her blue eyes were so bright that in the sunlight, it was almost as if they were white.

"What are you looking at?" She asked him, noticing his stare.

"You," Goten said instantly, not really thinking about his answer.

"Well, of course," Marron said with a slight annoyed tone, "I meant why are you staring at me?" There was a playful grin starting to form on her face. Goten shrugged, as a thought entered his mind.

"Well, in the sunlight, you remind me of a Super Saiyan," He admitted, his face not turning red or pink, but the embarrassment obvious on his features.

"Really?" Marron had never thought she looked anything like a Super Saiyan, or even a normal Saiyan for that matter.

"Yeah," Goten said, "You have blonde hair and blue eyes like one. I guess you just reminded me of one."

"Oh," Marron found herself blushing, "Well, I suppose that's true," but then a curious pondering look appeared on her face.

Goten stared at her, his head tilted a little, "What's up?"

"Oh," She blushed red when she saw that he was watching her think, "Nothing! I just...I was just thinking about something, that's all."

"What were you thinking about?" Goten pressed with a small sly grin.

"It's nothing, I told you," Marron reassured him, but something in his eyes told him that there was more to it than that.

"Come on, spit it out," Goten's smile growing wider.

"Fine!" Marron said, slightly annoyed, her gaze drifting away from him, "I was just thinking about if...if we had a child, if he or she would have blonde hair and blue eyes like a Super Saiyan!" Her face turned the deepest shade of crimson, and she continued to look away from him.

Goten's eyes widened, but his mouth didn't drop. Instead he gave Marron a pensive look. "You know, I never thought about that."

Marron suddenly looked at him. He looked genuinely thoughtful of the idea. _He's not weirded out by the thought? _Marron wondered.

"I don't know," Goten said finally, a smile returning to his face, "That'd be cool if that happened though, eh?"

Marron laughed nervously, still blushing, "Wouldn't it, though?"

Suddenly, Goten realized what she was saying, and it was his turn to blush. The two looked at each other in silence, then Goten smiled with an anxious look on his face, "Soooo, ready to learn how to fly?"

"Let's go," Marron nodded her head and the two flew out of bed and got dressed for their upcoming flying lesson.

_**Sooooo...what'd you think? I had no idea I would write this chapter soooo fast! I was AMAZED! This is definately the LAST update until I come back, so I hope you liked this little surprise update! LOL, I seriously had no Idea I'd get it wrote so fast...it literally poured out of me! Hope you liked it!**_

_**Next chapter...what else? Learning to fly! Marron and Goten have fun as Goten tries to teach Marron flight...this should be interesting! LOL**_

_**Thanks sooo much for the reviews, guys! You keep me writing this story with all your support! I can't thank you enough! You guys ROCK! Keep on rockin' in the free world!**_

_**Romania Black**_


	17. Day Four, The Basics of Flying

The Taming of the Saiyan

By Romania Black

_**Well well, long time no see! It's been a long two weeks for me, but I'm back! LOL, now onto Chapter Seventeen!**_

_**July and August are my busiest months, and I've had about a day and a half to work on this chapter, so it's not as long as I would have liked, but I guess that'll leave more for next chapter! **_

**_Sadly, I'm going to be gone for another couple of days and then another week, so hopefully in the few days I'll get to work on it, I can have the next chapter done for you guys! I'm soooo sorry for the long wait. Being gone for so long at a time DRIVES ME NUTS! sigh Well, I hope you enjoy this chapter and I'll update as soon as I can! _**

_**Oh, and of course, still rated T for Teen, due to mild violence, brief language, alcohol references, and mild sexual themes...**_

_**Disclaimer: I own NOTHING of Akira Toriyama...but if he wants to use any of my ideas...GO FOR IT! LOL**_

_**Reviews:**_

**_Kumori Ookami: I luv Trunks too! He does have a messed up family, doesn't he? I love that I'm finally gettin' Marron and Goten together in the story too! reads reviewLOL, really? Nothing else to read? That's insane! I hope this chapter gives you a bit of satisfaction...sorry it's so short, though! I'll try to make the next chapter super long for you! Thanks for the review!_**

**_Witch of Erie Knoll: Please don't cry! LOL, here's another chapter! Yeah, Vegeta is sooo fun to write about! I love writing scenes with him! LOL, hope you like this chapter! I'll update as soon as I can!_**

**_CheyaAngel: Awww! I hate when computers screw up like that! ARGH! Ours did that once...toook FOREVER to get started on a story again...well I am SO GLAD to have you back with the story! Glad you liked the chapters that have been posted! Thanks so much for the review and hope you like this one too!_**

**_Sinful Sakura: Hey thanks! Uub probably should leave Bra, but at the moment, I don't think that's likely. LOVED the whole "blasting her off into space" thing you said in your review! LOL, that's so nice of you! LOL I know, Trunks gets the shaft alot! Don't worry, that 'bar tab' is going to get found in the next couple of chapters...and some serious burning WILL HAPPEN! Stay tuned for that, and thanks for the review! HOpe you like this chapter too!_**

_**You guys are SO AWESOME! You make my day everyday and keep me going with this story! Thank you all sooooo much! PEACE OUT AND ROCK ROCK ON!**_

_**Romania Black**_

Chapter Seventeen: Day Four, The Basics of Flying

Goten hadn't realized how difficult this was going to be. As he stood outside the Roshi house, the cool breeze running through his black hair, he sighed loudly. He remembered how Gohan had taught Videl, but he wasn't sure how he could relay the same information to Marron. Gohan was pretty vague when he'd explained it all to his wife, but apparently she'd understood. Goten wasn't sure if Marron would have the same ability to understand the concepts of flying.

Just as he was thinking this, Marron walked out of the house beside him, her face looking rather cheerful. Goten stared at her in slight awe. She had on white capris and a large oversized pink sweatshirt. Her hair was hanging loosely on her shoulders. The wind whipped through her hair, and her cheeks were slightly flushed. When she saw Goten staring at her, she ran a hand through her hair, blushing. She figured he was staring at her because of how odd she appeared, but Goten didn't think she looked odd at all. On the contrary, he thought she looked beautiful as ever. He suddenly realized he would need to concentrate for the lessons and cleared his throat loudly, trying to stop staring at her.

"Uhm," He said with a slight cough, "Hey."

"I know," Marron said with pink cheeks, "I look stupid don't I?"

"Wha--?" Goten stumbled, his eyes widening in confusion, "What do you mean?"

"That's why you're staring," Marron said with a sigh, rolling her eyes, "This shirt is really dorky, but I figured it was going to be cold up in the air with the breeze and all, so, you know..." her voice trailed off, but her blue eyes were still locked onto Goten.

Goten stared at her, his mouth slightly open, "I wasn't--that's not what I--uhm, the shirt's okay, really." He waved his hands in front of him to reassure her. "So, are we...ready to start?"

Marron gave him a skeptical glance, but nodded her head. "Of course," She gave him a curious look, "Where do we begin?"

"Good question," Goten muttered to himself, then smiled nervously. He glanced around. The island wasn't that big, and probably wouldn't be a good location for flying lessons. _We can't learn here...not with the ocean and all...where to go...where to go...hmmm...wait! _A thought clicked into his head.

"Goten?" Marron interrupted his thoughts, her face full of concern and curiousity.

The Demi-Saiyan snapped out of his thoughts and looked at Marron with an anxious smile. "I was just thinking, that's all."

"Another flashback?" Marron offered, her face smiling a rather amused grin.

"Not this time," Goten admitted, exhaling loudly. He looked up into the sky, his eyes squinting in the rising sun. "We can't practice here, it's too small to. So we'll have to go somewhere else," He turned and looked at her, an eyebrow raised, "Is that okay with you?"

Marron shrugged indifferently, but her face was curious, "If that's what it takes. But where will we go?"

"I'm not sure yet, but we'll figure it out once we get going. Somewhere in an open location," He looked towards the road on the land near them. "I'm fairly sure I know where to go."

"Is it far?" There was a trace of fear in her voice, "We're not going to have to fly there are we?"

Goten smiled a warm smile at her, "I'm not going to carry you all the way out there, don't worry," Then he turned his head upwards, "But we're not driving either..."

"Goten, what are you--?" Marron said slowly.

**_"NIMBUS!" _**Goten yelled at the top of his lungs. Marron actually jumped back in shock, her face white. Goten yelled the name out a few more times, then caught his breath. Marron stared at him as if he was crazy.

"_What on earth are you doing_?" She said in a mix between a yell and a whisper, her voice shaky.

Goten simply stared at her, "Calling Nimbus," He replied simply, then his face lit up with realization. "Oooooh," He said suddenly, nodding his head slowly, "You've never seen Nimbus, have you?" He titled his head and looked towards her.

"What on earth is a nimbus?" Marron snapped, catching her breath still.

As soon as she said this, a high wind picked up and out of the sky came a yellowish cloud descending towards them, leaving a light golden steam trail behind it. The cloud was large enough for two people and appeared quite solid as it reached the island, the fluffy ends of the cloud swaying in the wind. It stopped short of Goten and floated around his waist. Marron gaped at the spectacle, but Goten merely nodded in understanding.

"So that's how it works," He said to himself, turning towards a suprised and confused Marron, "This is Nimbus."

Marron stared at him as if he was insane, "Goten, that's a cloud!"

"Well, actually it kind of is a cloud...and kind of not...," He wasn't sure how to explain it really. "I really haven't had much contact with Nimbus before. Gohan's the one that told me about it; he's rode on it more, to tell you the truth."

"You don't actually expect us to _ride _on that," Marron said with a highly skeptical glare, "Do you?"

Goten hadn't expected her to take it this badly, "Well, actually, yeah." He laughed nervously and scratched his head in an awkward pause.

Marron did not look impressed with his answer, "_Seriously_?" She said in a very 18-ish manner.

"Yeah," Goten said pressingly, walking towards her, "Nimbus and my dad went way back! He's carried dad around so many times...he even carried mom and dad to their wedding!" He laughed a little less nervously, hoping that would lighten the tension around them. Of course, it didn't.

"You have got to be kidding---" Marron said slowly, staring at the levitating cloud in front of them.

Just then, the Demi-Saiyan grabbed Marron's arms and started to push her towards the cloud. To this, Marron dug her feet into the ground to try and anchor herself down, but she wasn't nearly as strong as Goten. Her dragging feet was slowing him down, but not stopping him.

"GOTEN!" She screamed as he was inching her towards the floating Nimbus, "I CANNOT GET ON THAT! NO WAY! _GOTEN_!"

"It's alright," He said calmly into her ear, as if her screaming was not affecting him at all, "Nimbus is perfectly safe, Marron--"

"_ARE YOU INSANE! IT'S A CLOUD, GOTEN! A CLOUD!" _She screamed, but he hoisted her onto Nimbus and sat beside her. Before she could jump off, the cloud started up into the air, causing Marron's face to turn pale as a ghost and her arms to wrap tightly around Goten's waist.

The Demi-Saiyan stared down at her with fond pity, and he wrapped a muscular arm around her back, grasping her right shoulder. He stared down at her and smiled, "Don't worry, Marron, Nimbus doesn't bite."

"Of course he doesn't bite, he's a cloud!" She snapped, her eyes held shut, "I'm more worried about the falling off to my doom part!"

Goten chuckled and squeezed her closer to him, "Don't be silly, Marron! You won't fall off and even if you _did_," He stared down at her and his eyes and hers met, "I wouldn't let you fall too far."

Marron stared at him, and in his eyes she saw that he was right. She finally allowed a smile to break across her face and she nudged her head against his chest, her eyes open and trying to stare around them, and not below them. There was no way she was looking below them yet.

"See?" Goten smiled warmly, "You're alright up here," He rubbed her arm soothingly, "Nothing to be scared of."

She wanted to believe him, but the fact that if she did fall and she couldn't fly to safety still bugged her. Nonetheless, Goten's grip on her made her feel somewhat calmer, and even as he held her, she felt as though they weren't as high up as they actually were. A few seconds later, Marron realized that in fact they _weren't_. They were descending towards the ground smoothly, as if they were on a kite string, and the wind was reeling them in. Marron looked around in awe as they sailed to the ground.

"I didn't even feel us getting towards the ground," Marron said in surprise.

Goten nodded his head and smiled, "I told you that Nimbus was a smooth ride." He hopped off the cloud and reached for her hand, helping her off.

"That didn't seem to take long either," She said staring at the clearing around them, the grass swaying at their ankles. "Where are we?"

"Not far from the road," Goten replied, patting the cloud gently. "I didn't think that this clearing was too far. It's a good area to practice in, I think." With that, the cloud soared quickly into the air and out of sight. The two watched it leave.

"Will it come back?" Marron asked with a hint of anxiousness in her voice.

"Maybe," Goten really didn't know truthfully. "I hope so." Seeing Marron's crushed expression of worry, he smiled nervously and sat down in the grass, "Perhaps we should get started already?"

"I suppose," Marron said with a doubtful hint in her tone. She didn't like the idea of the cloud _not _returning to get them.

"Okay," Goten took a deep breath. He knew that his explanation of the mechanics of flying was probably going to come out wrong. "I suppose the first thing I should ask is if you understand the whole energy-in-your-body thing."

"My _WHAT_?" Marron asked, her eyes wide in offension.

"Okay, so you don't," Goten said quickly, smiling nervously. _Yep, that came out totally bad! _"Well, Gohan was always better at explaining the concept then me, sooooo..."

Goten opened his hand up and in the palm of his hand a small glowing sphere of orange light formed. The ball of energy sailed from his hand and into a tree far off in the distance. The tree immediately exploded, sending smoke up into the air, and causing flames to ricochet off of the crisped bark. Goten gave a soft, reminiscent chuckle and turned back to Marron, whose eyes were wide, but her mouth firmly shut. She looked much calmer than Videl had looked when he'd done the same thing as a child when Gohan had taught them.

"That's the energy I'm talking about. Do you understand?" Goten was hoping she did, because Videl hadn't when Gohan had taught them, and it was extremely frustrating to try and explain the mechanics of it.

"I think so," Marron said softly, much to Goten's relief. "I've seen mom and dad do that before."

"Oh!" Goten suddenly realized who her parents were. "Of course you have!" He smiled. _Duh, Goten! Her parents are 18 and Krillin!_

"So that's what makes you fly?" Marron cocked her head to the side and gave Goten a curious stare.

"Well, basically," He looked to the ground, his face blushing a little, "I mean, it's not that alone, but that's the basic thing you need to fly."

"What do I need to do then?" Marron asked eagerly. "I was never taught to fight or anything, so where do I start?"

Goten couldn't help but ask, "That's always struck me odd, Marron. Why didn't 18 or Krillin ever teach you?"

"They didn't want to expose me to fighting like Goku and Vegeta had to you and Trunks," Marron said with a forceful tone, "And truthfully I think that fighting is dumb, but I want to learn how to fly, so how do I make that kind of energy?" Her voice was more of a plea and demand than a request. Goten already felt bad for asking.

"Sorry, sorry!" He apologized, "I was just wondering, that's all." He scratched his head, staring at Marron, who was glaring back forcefully. "Well, first of all hold out your hands."

Marron held her hands out in front of her, "Like this?"

"Yes, now this may be confusing," Goten sighed, knowing it would be, there was no _maybe _about it, "But try to let it all soak in, okay?"

"I'm ready," Marron said determined. Her face was still forceful, but she had seemed to have relaxed a little bit.

"Okay, then," Goten said with a huff of relief. _Here goes... _"What you have to do is take to first gather the energy inside you--"

"I have that energy in me?" Marron interrupted in a slight state of shock, her eyes wide.

"Of course you do," Goten smiled, "We all do. You just have to know how to bring it out and use it, that's all."

"I see," Marron's cheeks blushed as she realized that she had interrupted him, "I'm sorry. Go on, Goten."

"That's fine," He reassured her, and pointed to her open hands held out in front of her. "Now, what you're going to do is focus on the energy inside you. I know, it sounds stupid, but focus on all the particles in your body and bring the energy from each one out to your hands."

"Goten, this sounds really hard," Marron admitted, her face suddenly full of concern and fear.

"I know it does," Goten said with a small smile, "But it's not as hard as it sounds. Focus on the energy...uh, if you have to, give it a form in your mind and try your hardest to think about that form." He could see Marron closing her eyes and concentrating, "That's it, that's it. Now try to force that energy from inside your head to the palms of your hands."

There was silence for a moment, as he watched her focus and think very hard. Then he saw her brow furrow and sweat start to form on her forehead. _She's getting stressed, _Goten realized. She appeared to be trying with all her might to bring the energy out, but nothing was really happening, other than her body starting to shake fiercely. Goten, thinking that she could be hurting herself, involuntarily grapsed ahold of her hands to steady them.

Marron opened her eyes, "Goten, I don't need your help," Her voice was slightly bitter, "I can do it."

"I know you can," The Demi-Saiyan said at once, "I'm just steadying your hands. You're shaking."

She saw that he was right, and a hopeless look appeared on her face. Marron lowered her head in frustration, but Goten cupped a hand under her chin and lifted it up. "Don't worry. You've almost got it. I can feel it; come on. Another try, okay?"

"I'm close?" She asked suddenly, not believing him.

"Very," Goten couldn't believe it himself. "Most people would never learn this quickly, but I guess since you're mom and dad were so strong, it must come naturally for you!"

Marron didn't want to believe him, but the smile on his face was more than reassuring. She smiled, in spite of herself, "Okay, let's try this again." She felt his hands starting to slacken their grip, but she grapsed them in hers and held them tight.

"Wha--?"

"Don't let go," She said forcefully, then her face turned red, "For support, you know. Just to keep my hands steady, right?" She tried to play it off casually, but Goten's goofy smile let her know he was onto her.

"Alright," He replied innocently, but in his heart he figured she just wanted his hands there as an excuse to be able to touch him. And he wasn't about to say no. "Ready?"

Marron nodded her head, her face back to the concentration mode. "Yes."

"Concentrate," Goten said soothingly, as she closed her eyes.

At first all she saw was the black darkness that was usually what people that closed their eyes saw. White stars seemed to dance in the dark abyss she was swimming in, and then Goten's words filled her subconscious. _Concentrate, Marron..._ The voice whispered to her, as if from a far distance away. _Focus..._The vague whisper said softly. Marron tried to think of the glowing orange ball that Goten had produced earlier, but all she kept thinking of was the sun, which was not the energy she wanted. _Come on, Marron! Focus, girl! You want to fly! _She screamed in her mind, _You need that energy to fly! Where is it? Where is it? _

Just as she said these words, she felt a cooling sensation spreading through her body, followed by a wave of chills. Thinking this might be the energy she was looking for, she concentrated with all her might and tried to force the coolness towards her hands, which was proving difficult. But the whisper was back and sounded anxious, _You're doing it, Marron! _The voice exclaimed, _Bring it from the center of your body to your hands! You're doing it! _Marron felt her eyes squeeze shut tighter as she focused on the cold sensation and tried to bring it to her hands. Suddenly a glowing field of blue stretched in front of her eyes and this time the voice was overjoyed. _MARRON! YOU DID IT!_

"Marron! You did it!" Goten's voice caused Marron to open her eyes. For a second she thought she was blinded, but then realized that it was because of what was in her hands.

Her hands laid out on top of Goten's, Marron saw a bright, almost blinding ball of aqua light floating in her hands. Her eyes danced as she saw the glowing sphere levitating above her palms.

"It's...beautiful," She was lost for words. _I did it! I actually did it!_

"It is," Goten nodded, gazing into her starstruck eyes. He couldn't believe she was already forming an energy ball. "You're a natural, Marron! I told you that you could do it!"

"Seriously? I'm a natural?" Marron was in disbelief.

"Yeah, Videl took _WAY _longer than this to learn!" Goten scratched his head with one hand, still staring at the floating ball of light.

A slight wave of pride overtook Marron's features and the ball suddenly sailed out of her hands and into a boulder beside them. The energy sphere hit the rock and caused it to crumble into a thousand tiny bits with a small rumble. Marron threw a hand to her mouth in shock and embarrassment, but Goten looked mildly impressed.

"Wow! That was neat!" He said, craning his neck to see the crumble pile of pebbles that the boulder was now.

"I didn't mean to---honestly---It just sailed out of my hands!" Marron tried to explain desperately, her face turning red.

"It's okay, Marron!" Goten laughed, "That was amazing! There was a bit of force behind that energy!" She was shocked that he looked so impressed with her.

"Is that good, I take it, then?" She said slowly.

"It is! We just need to try a few more times and get you to control it!" He nodded his head as he said this.

"Control it?"

"Well, yeah," He realized he had to explain this too. "We can't just learn to fly now. You have the energy ball, so now you have to learn to control that energy. THEN, we can start training to fly." The wilted look on her face told him that she wasn't going to take this news well.

"Oh," She said bluntly, a slight un-Marron pout on her face, "This is going to take a while, isn't it?"

"Probably," Goten said with an apologetic smile, "But you've learned so fast on the energy ball, it shouldn't take too long for the rest. But if you want to call it a day--"

"No way!" Marron immediately objected, "I wanted to learn to fly, and I'm going to! No matter what!" Marron wasn't one to quit a project halfway through it. She liked getting things done and getting them done right.

Goten swayed away from her, overwhelmed by her enthusiasm, "Okay, fine! I just thought you'd want a break, that's all."

"I finish what I start," She said with a 18-like stare, "So let's continue, shall we?"

"Sure thing," He said, still amazed by her persistance. "Now that you've successfully produced an energy in your hands, we have to learn how to control it so the energy can be used for flying." In his mind, Goten figured that controlling the energy would prove easier than it had been to produce it.

As usual, he was wrong.

"Marron, _STOP_!" Goten exclaimed for what seemed like the fiftieth time. Marron had perfected the energy ball making naturally and could immediately draw up one now into her hands. It was controlling the sphere that, as Goten had feared, was the hard part. The last countless energy balls she'd created had involuntarily and spontaneously spun out of her hands and into the trees, rocks, grass. The last one had nearly zapped Goten's feet. He had sometimes let impatience take him over, and he'd been working hard the last two hours to not let it get the best of him, but his patience was wearing thin. And so was Marron's.

She shot him a frustrated look, her fists clenched and sweat dripping down her cheek. "I'm sorry, okay? This isn't easy!" Her voice said in a whine.

"I'm sure it's not," Goten said with a trace of bitterness, "But I'd like there to be some grass and trees left when we're done, so could you rest for a minute?" He said with a slight bite to his tone.

Marron's face contorted slightly, "I'm not tired."

"Well, I am!" He snapped, wiping his forehead and staring at the singed shoe string of his blue boot, thankful it had missed his toes. Her attacks had some sting to them, there was no doubt about it.

Marron glared at him with frustration, but didn't reply. She merely sighed impatiently and crossed her arms at her chest as Goten took some deep breaths. _Surely Gohan hadn't had this much trouble..._He thought with a frown. He could faintly remember Videl and Gohan fussing about the flying lessons he'd gave, but Videl had learned to control her energy a LOT faster than Marron. Goten groaned softly, placing his head in his hands. As soon as Marron saw this, she took it as Goten's way of saying he had given up hope in her.

She stared down at her white knuckles, a tear of sweat rolling off her chin, _Maybe I'm not meant to fly..._

"Yes you are," Goten suddenly said, looking up at her with a fierceness in his eyes. Marron was about to remind him to stop reading her mind, but he cut her off, "You are going to learn how to fly, and that's that, Marron!"

She sat there and looked at him for a moment in silence. She'd never seen this sort of certainty in his face. It was almost frightening.

"How can you be sure, Goten?" She said in a pleading voice. "The last three hours we've been out here with no progress--"

"NO PROGRESS?" Goten's eyes widened in disbelief, and his voice became broken with laughter. "How can you say that? We've made loads of progress in three short hours Marron!" He gave her a broad grin, which diminished his scary certain look in an instant.

Marron was glad his warm smile had returned, but she was still doubtful, "So I've learned to make an energy ball! I still can't control it, and I haven't learned to fly yet!"

"No one can learn in one day!" Goten said firmly, "I'm amazed that you've already mastered making the energy spheres! It would take someone else triple the time it's taken for you!"

"Seriously?" Marron said with a soft curiosity in her voice.

"As serious as anyone can be," Goten replied, taking her hands. "You'll learn to control it. Don't worry," His grip tightened on her hands, not in a hurting way, but in a firm reassuring grasp. Marron could feel the warmth spreading through them.

"And if it takes the rest of the week?" She said with a fleetingly hopeless voice.

"Then it takes all week!" Goten suddenly stood up and pulled Marron up with him. "If that's what it takes then we'll spend all week learning!"

She was amazed by his sudden compliance and deeply moved by it. "Just like that," Her voice broke for an instant, "you'll agree to throw the rest of our week together away just to teach me to fly?" She looked into his dark eyes and saw they were truthful.

"Of course I would," He said without hesitation, then smiled even more broadly, "Besides, I wouldn't exactly call it 'throwing the week away'. I mean, we'll still be together, so what would the difference be?"

Marron couldn't believe he would throw away his time for her so quickly and without thought. "Goten...I...," But no words could express the disbelief and joy that was inside her at that moment.

It seemed he realized her speechlessness, because he placed a finger on her lips to silence her and leaned in closely, making sure she heard every word he said. "I will teach you how to fly, I promise," He said slowly and softly, "But I'm afraid that until you learn to control your energy," He took her hands in his, "We can't continue with the lessons, okay?"

There was a moment of silence, then he lifted his finger from her delicate pink lips. She stared at him and nodded slowly, a soft smile on her face.

"Okay," She said with another nod. "So what now?" She stared around them. There wasn't a whole lot of undamaged trees, rocks, or patches of grass around them. She felt her face burning as Goten smiled nervously.

"Well, seeing as how we've temporarily exceeded our welcome in this area," He tried to make it sound better than it was, "I believe that we should practice your energy controlling back at Roshi's."

"Are you crazy?" Marron exclaimed, her face suddenly white as she pictured herself blowing the structure up with her blue energy spheres.

"It'll be a good practice area," Goten explained, "There's ocean all around us. Nothing too close to hit, save the car, which I'm hoping you'll try to _not _aim at," He said with a nervous chuckle.

Marron eyed him doubtfully, "What about the Roshi house? It's right there too."

"That's true," Goten said thoughtfully, a slightly grim smile playing on his features, "But a little motivation like that will help you to better control your energy."

"_A little motivation_?" Marron's eyebrows almost disappeared into her hairline, "Goten, I could blow up the house if I'm not careful!"

Goten shook his head, smiling, "You won't. Trust me, you won't if we're there. I have confidence in you," He let go of her hands and started to walk away from her, Marron still looking doubtful. She rushed to Goten's side and grabbed his arm.

"So we're done already?" She said in a small whine. She'd expected the practice to last all day. "It's not even noon yet!"

"We're not done," The Demi-Saiyan smiled. "We're going to go back to the house and eat some lunch and then continue, okay?" He raised an eyebrow, "Or do you want to do something else?"

"Oh," She blushed, slightly embarrassed, "No, that's fine!" She smiled to reassure him.

"You sure?" Goten didn't want to pressure her to continue if she didn't want to.

"Yes," She smiled, then a frown hinted on her face. "But how about we walk back or something other than flying on Nimbus?"

"Why?" Goten thought the ride had been smooth enough.

"I just don't...trust it, that's all," She said with a slight frown. "Please, can we walk back?" Goten looked down at her pleading blue eyes and smiled sweetly.

"Of course we can walk back. Why not?" He smiled as they started walking back towards the road. "This way, Nimbus doesn't have to come back and pick us up." The two started off across the singed grass.

After a moment of silence, Goten stared down at Marron. She was looking ahead, her eyes excited and open, but a softness to them. Goten didn't know why, but he felt an urge to hold her, or something. To comfort her and let her know he had confidence in her and her ability to fly. As he was thinking this, he wasn't sure it had happened, but his hand had slipped into hers.

Marron suddenly looked up at Goten, not saying anything, but staring at him as they walked. He hadn't realized he'd grasped her hand, and was still walking alongside her with a pensive look on his face; staring off into what could have been another world. Marron's first instinct with anyone else may have been to draw away from the hand-holding, but something warm about his hand in hers wouldn't let her do it. She gave him another glance and a smile broke on her face.

_Flying or not, I wouldn't want to be anywhere else but here right now..._She thought as they walked hand in hand, towards the Roshi house to begin Marron's lessons on controlling her energy.

Only after she'd mastered that, would she be able to fly. Marron figured it would take more than a day to learn, but a feeling in the pit of her stomach told her that it wouldn't be too long from now that she'd flying with Nimbus in the sky above, and not worrying about whether she would fall and crash to her doom or not.

_**Hey hey! How was that? I meant for it to be longer, but I have to leave AGAIN tommorrow...NOOO! So I didn't get to work as much as I wanted to on it! -- I know, I'm sad too!**_

_**Well, next chapter, we catch up on what everyone else has been doing while our couple's been away, and Goten and Marron start the energy control lessons...should be fun! **_

_**Thanks so much for all the support and reviews from you guys! You inspire me to continue with this story and give it my all, and I truly am blessed by all of you! Thanks a million and keep sending the comments or reviews! I appreciate every review I get so much! **_

_**Til next update,**_

_**Romania BLack**_


	18. Day Four, Meanwhile

The Taming of the Saiyan

By Romania Black

_**Hey everyone! I worked almost non-stop on this chapter today (which shows you I have no life! LOL, just kidding!) , hoping I'd get it done before I leave on Tuesday. If I keep as productive as this, I'm sure that I can get another chapter done before I go...maybe! I hope so anyway! I'll try and update another time before I go...but if I can't, I'm SORRY! I hope this chapter holds you over for a little bit if that's the case!**_

_**Anywhoo, we're still rated T for Teen for mild violence, some brief language, alcohol references, and mild sexual themes...**_

_**Disclaimer: I own NOTHING of Akira Toriyama...but if he wants to use any of my ideas...GO FOR IT! LOL**_

_**Reviews:**_

**_Sinful Sakura: LMAO! Can you teach me your Drunken Irish Jig? That was sooo funny! Yeah, Goten's got a handful teaching Marron to fly! But we think he's up to the challenge, right? LOL, thanks for the review! _**

**_Witch of Erie Knoll: Thanks! I'm glad you liked the chapter! Bulma's going to meet up with Pan, don't worry! LOL, you'll see that confrontation soon! LOL, and don't worry, Trunks' hair will be back to normal soon enough! I hate having to leave for so long too! I'll try and update as soon as I can! Hope you like this chapter as much as the last one! LOL, nice comment on the broom and Trunks!_**

**_Kumori Ookami: Thanks so much for the review! I'm flattered by the compliment! -blushes- I hate being gone too, but it WON'T be as long this time, TRUST ME! LOL, that was a looong wait, I know...drove me nuts because I couldn't write on the story while I was gone! Well, hope this chapter passes some time for you!_**

_**You guys are SO AWESOME! You make my day everyday and keep me going with this story! Thank you all SOOOOO VERY VERY much! I APPRECIATE ALL THE SUPPORT AND REVIEWS! THANKS A MILLION! PEACE OUT AND ROCK ROCK ON!**_

_**Romania Black**_

Chapter Eighteen: Day Four, Meanwhile...

"I still cannot believe he did that!" Bulma said with a bitter snap of disbelief as she cleaned a dish that was floating on top of the soapy water in the sink. She shook her head in anger as she scrubbed the remainder of scrambled eggs from the plate. _My son! Let a child dye his hair! How senseless can the boy be? Sometimes he amazes me..._

Vegeta smirked, "I actually thought the black hair looked well on him," He looked at his wife, "Made him look more like a Saiyan than a pathetic earthling." He chomped on his piece of toast as he finished saying this.

"You know I hated the idea when he was a baby and you tried to convince me to dye his hair. Why on earth do you think I would like it any better now?" She rounded on her husband with a hateful glare in her eyes.

"Hey, it wasn't MY doings!" Vegeta snapped back angrily, "It was that brat-child Pan that did it!" A small smile played on his face and he mumbled in almost a whisper, "At least she had the guts to actually do it before I did."

"What was that?" Bulma raised an eyebrow.

"It's none of your business what I say, woman!" The Saiyan growled back. Bulma gave a hopeless sigh and turned back towards her dishes, realizing it wasn't worth it to upset her husband. Vegeta looked around, "Where is the boy anyway?"

"He's washing the rest of that nasty stuff out of his hair," She replied, seeing the slightly wilted look on her husband's face out of the corner of her eye. "It'll come out eventually, so he might as well get it out now, before the neighbors start to comment on it."

"Women and their concern over petty gossip," Vegeta snarled, shaking his head in disgust. " You're just going to get into a huge disagreement with those simpletons over there and then I'll have to hear all about it afterwards. It's pathetic."

"Well!" Bulma rounded on him fiercely and shoved a sponge into his hand, covering his fork in soap, "Since you don't want me and the neighbors getting into it, I'll just leave before I get the chance!" She yelled, walking towards the door and throwing on a jacket. She was fed up with this arguing and needed to get away from him for at least an hour before she went insane.

Vegeta stared at her for a moment speechless, then dropped the soapy fork onto his sud-filled plate of half-finished scrambled eggs. Bulma pulled her hair out from beneath the collar of her jacket, half amazed that he hadn't exploded in anger yet, and half amazed that she had found the courage to react as she did.

"Woman," Vegeta finally said in a slow angered growl, staring at his plate, "What am I supposed to eat now?"

"I think you've had enough," Bulma snapped, "You can finish the dishes for me while I'm out." She turned towards the doorknob.

Vegeta snorted and gave a short, menacing laugh, "And if I don't do the dishes, woman?"

Bulma slowly turned her head to see him and her voice was as cold as ice, "Oh, you will, honey." With that she slammed the door behind her.

Vegeta sat there, the smirk gone from his face, and replaced with a frustrated and shocked expression. He hadn't seen Bulma act with such aggression in a while. He stared over at the sink filled with dirty plates. _If she expects me to actually do those ridiculous dishes..._ But then his mind was filled with the image of her angry face right before she slammed the door, followed by a sharp nagging ringing noise entering his ears. _If I don't she'll nag to no end, and that's all I'll hear about all day! Stupid woman, _He stood up and walked towards the sink, the sponge clutched in his clenched fist, _the Prince of Saiyans would have never dreamed of following orders from a female as low leveled as her! Or even a female to begin with!_

He wasn't sure, but somehow Bulma had a way of making Vegeta do things against his will. He somehow thought it was because she was never intimidated by him, though he never really figured out how she'd avoided being as afraid of him as the others on this planet were. _I'll never know why I somehow seem to listen to her...I'm a warrior! Not a dish cleaner! _He scrubbed on the soapy dish some more.

Trunks walked into the kitchen, his hair almost back to normal. It wasn't black anymore, but it was a shade darker than the lavender hair he'd been born with. He took two steps further until he noticed that his dad, his proud Saiyan father, was doing the dishes. The Demi-Saiyan knew that he was asking for it, but he couldn't resist teasing his dad just a little.

"So," Trunks spoke up, and he saw the hair on his father's neck stand up a little, "Is that one of the Prince of Saiyan duties I'll get to carry out one day?" He smiled, knowing that he was about to get an earful, but it had been worth it just to say it.

There was a three second silence, then his father exploded, "_WHY YES, SON, IT IS! IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PRACTICE ON YOUR DUTIES, I'LL STEP ASIDE AND YOU'LL BE MORE THAN WELCOME TO TAKE OVER_!" He threw the wet sponge at Trunks, which hit him in the face. Trunks smiled,

"No thanks, dad, I think you have it under control--" Trunks started, but Vegeta cut him off.

"_NOW SINCE YOU'RE IN SUCH A DAMN GOOD MOOD, YOU CAN GO TO THE TRAINING CHAMBER AND DO TEN-THOUSAND PUSH-UPS FOR ME_!" Vegeta screamed, a vein on the side of his forehead pounding angrily to the beat of his heart.

"I'm not a kid, father," Trunks said with a small smile, then he glanced at the sink, "Did mom tell you to do those--?"

"THAT IS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS, BOY! NOW DO THOSE PUSH-UPS, OR IT'LL BE TRIPLE THAT AMOUNT WITH_ ME WATCHING YOU _DO THEM!" He yelled with a hint of threatening rage in his voice. Trunks knew that if his father was there to watch him do the pushups, then he would probably torture him the entire way through.

A dab of sweat on his forehead, Trunks grinned nervously, "No thanks, dad, I'll go do the ten-thousand now." He headed towards the chamber, knowing he should have not said anything to begin with, but oddly feeling slight satisfaction having done it.

Vegeta watched his son leave, and continued scrubbing the plates. But there was a gleam in his eyes as he did it, _That boy's getting harder to intimidate every day..._He glared at the dish, but a smile started to form on his face, _He IS becoming more and more like me..._

And that thought alone seemed to make the dish-washing go much smoother.

Marron's parents had never been separated from their daughter for much more than a day or two, and now that the fourth day without her loomed on, things in the household were slightly unsettled.

Krillin sat on the couch, watching what seemed like the fourth airing of the same tv episode of his favorite show and eating from a large bowl of popcorn. 18 sat beside him, working on a Sudoku puzzle she'd found in the paper. She didn't really care for Sudoku, but with Marron gone and Krillin glued to the television, there wasn't much to do really.

The diminuitive fighter sighed and shoved a handful of popcorn into his mouth, "Another great day," He said in an unenthusiastic tone.

"Quit griping," the Android said sharply, her eyes on the Suduko puzzle in her hands. She chewed on the end of her pencil before writing in an answer.

"We've never had Marron gone this long," Krillin said with a frown, sitting up straighter, "I can't believe how much more quiet it is without her."

"And how did you think it was going to be once she got married and moved out?" 18 asked him, her eyes turning towards him inquisitively.

He stared at her with a blank look, "I never really thought about that."

"You're joking?" She raised an eyebrow affectionately.

"No, I never imagined her moved out and--" He gave her an odd stare, "She's not married yet!"

"She will most likely be though," 18's eyes returned to her puzzle, "If the information on that fruit is valid."

"Yeah," Krillin's sad frown suddenly became a broad grin, "But she'll be married to Goten!"

"And that's good compared to--?" 18 looked at him with a curious glance.

"Anybody!" He smiled even broader, "If they marry, I'll be related to Goku!"

The Android hadn't considered that aspect. She wasn't sure how she felt being related to the warrior Goku. The way her husband said it, it sounded like being related to royalty. The image of Vegeta immediately popped into her head, but she forced it away quickly.

Krillin was still smiling, "My best bud, and me, _father-in-laws_!" He grinned reminiscently, and sighed happily. 18 was about to remind him that Goku was dead or at least gone for what was supposed to be forever, but she thought better of it. She didn't want to dampen his moment of happiness. Then something else dawned on him, "And Gohan will be my son-in-law's brother! Wow!" He seemed to be liking this arrangement more and more.

"I'm not sure how--" 18 was still a little unsure of how marriage related almost everyone in the other's family to them.

"WOW!" Her husband seemed to have realized something else, "My granchild is going to be part Saiyan!" He seemed to swoon for a second, then gather himself together again.

18's face formed a frown, "That's just what we need, another Saiyan."

"It'll be _your _grandchild too!" Krillin burst out happily. The Android's face seemed to soften a great deal as the prospect of becoming a grandmother filled her mind. She shook her head, smiling slightly.

"I wouldn't mind being the grandmother of a Saiyan, I suppose," The thought still sent chills coarsing through her nonetheless, "But let's not count our chickens before they hatch. I _think _our daughter will marry Goten, but we don't know for sure."

Her husband nodded his head, "That's true. We can still hope for the best, right?" He poked her playfully in the ribs with his elbow. 18 smiled in agreement.

"Yes we can," She said simply.

"Wow, me and Goku related," He repeated as she settled back into his seat, eyeing the television again. "You know," he frowned at the television set, "You'd think that this station would find other episodes to play of this show!"

18 looked at the remote and then the tv and a soft smile spread across her face, "Dear, that's not the actual station. You're watching a VHS tape of the same episode."

Krillin's face turned red, "OH! Uh, it is?" He noticed the case of the video on the coffee table beside him and realized she was right. "I see...," He popped the tape out, embarassment still etched on his face. "I'm a basketcase without her here, 18."

"I know," She smiled sympathetically at her husband, "I think I am too." The two stared at each other for a moment, a soft smile on each other's face. Krillin chuckled and placed another tape into the VCR, as the Android continued working on her Suduko puzzle.

Bulma wasn't sure where she was wanting to go, but anywhere away from her husband sounded wonderful. _He is so stubborn sometimes! I just want to---ARGH! _She clenched her fists until her knuckles were white and pressed the pedal on her Capsule Car harder. The flying car let out a big puff of steam and cruised faster ahead.

She looked down at the scenary below her and saw several familiar houses. Suddenly, Bulma remembered that she was heading towards the direction of Videl's house.

_More like Videl's mansion, _she thought wickedly. _How convenient..._ Then it dawned on her that Pan was probably home, since it was summer after all and there was no school. _That's it, I'm going to go down there and give that girl a piece of my mind! No one ruins my son's hair like that, it's unheard of! I don't care if she's Gohan's daughter or not, she needs to learn that there are somethings a girl can and CAN'T do! _

But there was another reason she'd just decided that talking to Pan would be a good idea. Something that hadn't connected in her mind until that moment. _Maybe she would know...she was with Trunks after all that day..._

She kicked in the landing gear on the Capsule Car and started to descend towards the ground. The grass whipped low as the flying vehicle hovered above the freshly cut grass. She let the landing gear kick into place and parked the Capsule Car beside the driveway of Videl's home. Stepping out of the vehicle, she felt a cool breeze run through her hair. Bulma soon found herself staring at the mansion in awe, something she usually did when she first arrived at their home.

_All those rooms..._She thought as she walked towards the front door. _I wonder what all they could fit in each room? I bet some are empty--_

"Oh!" Videl popped out of the front door before Bulma reached it, a surprised but pleasant look on her face. "I wasn't expecting company, Bulma! What a surprise!" She smiled at Bulma, who was broke from her trance of the house.

"Sorry I didn't call sooner," Bulma apologized as Videl motioned her inside. "My husband was being annoying, so I decided to ride around for a while and let him take off some steam." It was mostly true, anyway.

"I wish I could get Gohan out of the house once in a while too," Videl smiled grimly, "He just wants to stay in his office upstairs and do equations and junk." She motioned for Bulma to sit in one of the living room chairs. The living room was nicely decorated; nothing plain, but nothing fancy either.

Bulma took a seat and frowned, "I thought Gohan was working at the office in the city?"

"He was," Videl reached for a tea kettle sitting on the small table beside them and poured two glasses of tea. "But the company said he had ample room to start an office here, so..." She sipped her tea after handing Bulma a glass. "He decided he might as well work here...unfortunately."

Bulma smiled slightly devillishly, "I thought you'd be happy to have him here instead of in town?"

"Oh, I am," Videl smiled slightly, "It's just that he hardly ever leaves his room, and has no reason to come and see me much unless it's dinner time, or if dad wants to go on an outing with him."

Bulma was just about to ask what kind of outing the two went on when she remembered why she'd stopped here.

"Videl, the real reason I came here was to talk about your daughter. Is she here?" She tried to sound casual, but Videl could notice a oddness in her tone.

"Yes, she's here. Why?" Videl raised an eybrow.

"Well, it appears her and my son were goofing around," Videl's eyes grew wide, "And I need to talk with her about it." Bulma sipped her tea when she'd finished. Videl's eyes were the size of the tea dishes, and her mouth was slightly open in a curious way.

"What kind of goofing around?" She asked, her voice tense and worried.

Bulma suddenly realized the impression Videl had gotten. She raised a hand to her mouth to stop the tea coming out and wiped her mouth with a napkin beside her, smiling in reassurance.

"No, no, no, nothing like that!" She said, raising a hand to her head, "They weren't doing what you think!"

Videl let out an enormous sigh of relief. _Her daughter was too young to even THINK about anything like that! _She smiled to let Bulma know she understood, "Oh, that's good! For a second there..." She grimaced, "Go on, Bulma. Please."

"It's nothing like that, Videl. But her and Trunks were goofing off and she caused my son to ruin his hair," She explained.

Videl had a sour frown, "She WHAT?"

"She dyed Trunks hair," Videl's eyes had fire in them, and Bulma raised a hand to stop her from jumping up, "Temporary hair color. It's nothing too major," She lied, remembering how she'd reacted before, "But I was pretty upset about it. I wanted to talk to Pan about what she did." She was talking casually with Videl, but she knew when she found Pan, her tone would be A LOT different.

Videl looked angry, "My daughter should know better! I'll go get her right now and make her apologize!" Videl jumped up and stormed off into the hallway behind them, disappearing out of sight.

A few moments later, Videl returned with a confused and shaken Pan, whom Videl had by the collar of the shirt. She drug her right to Bulma and when she let go, Pan saw who it was sitting beside her. Pan's eyes grew wide and her face paled a shade.

"Errrr, hi Miss Briefs," Pan said in almost a mumble.

Videl looked furious, "Bulma told me what you did to Trunks' hair! How could you, Pan?"

"But mom!" Pan turned to give her mom a confused and panicked look, "Trunks was awake when it happened! He agreed to let me do it!"

Videl's frown seemed to falter a bit. She hadn't known that Trunks was awake when this had happened...but then her gaze turned angry again, "That is no excuse, Pan! You still shouldn't have done it! What if it had been permanent?" Her eyes seemed to bore right through Pan, who looked almost too shocked for words.

"Mom, I--"

Videl cut her off, "No excuses! You are going to apologize right now to Miss Briefs and then--"

"Excuse me, Videl?" Bulma interupted, causing Pan's mother to turn around, "If it's all the same, I would like to speak with Pan alone for a little bit about what she's done." She said casually. Videl stared at her for a moment, then nodded her head.

"I suppose," She turned towards her daughter. "I'm going to start on lunch now. When Miss Briefs is done with you, Pan, you are to come into the kitchen and I'll decide your punishment for the next week, okay?"

Pan looked as if she was about to say 'no', but thought better of it. "Yes, mom." She said with a slight bitterness in her voice.

Videl walked off into the kitchen, giving the two one final glance before leaving them alone with each other. Pan felt the sweat build up on her face, and gave Bulma a empathetic look.

"Miss Briefs, I did not mean for Trunks' hair to offend you!" She pleaded.

"Well, it did, Pan," Bulma snapped, "What if it HAD been permanent? Do you know how long it would have taken to grow out?"

"The box said 'temporary', Miss Briefs! I checked it before we used it!" Pan's eyes seemed very sorry, and apologetic.

"You're very lucky it was too!" Bulma said with a sharp tone, "How would you have felt if Trunks had dyed your hair pink or something?"

Pan made a grossed-out face. It was obvious the idea of pink hair was pure torture, "YUCK! I wouldn't have let Trunks do that to me! No way!"

"If that's so, why would Trunks let you dye his hair black?"

"He only let me because he needed it dyed--" Pan suddenly stopped. In the silence that followed, she looked at Bulma with a suddenly apprehensive face.

Bulma was smiling menacingly, her eyes narrowed. Pan realized that she had been pushed into a corner. Bulma hadn't come to get Pan to apologize; she'd wanted to know WHY Trunks had dyed his hair black. A shiver went down Pan's spine; she'd been trapped, and she'd already said too much.

"Why did he need it dyed, Pan?" Bulma asked slowly and softly.

Pan blushed, "Uh, no real reason."

"Are you sure? It sounded like there was a reason," She urged, leaning forward, towards Pan.

The girl leaned back away from her, sweat rolling down her cheek, "Nope. Must have been mistaken!" She tried to focus on the clock in the corner of the room, but she couldn't escape Bulma's stare.

Bulma knew she was lying. It was only a matter of time before Pan confessed.

"Seriously, I am sorry about your son's hair," Pan aplogized, bowing her head slightly, so that all her hair fell into her face.

"I'll forgive you and tell your mother not to punish you," Bulma said slowly.

"Really?" Pan's head perked up, her eyes lit up in surprise.

"Oh yes," Bulma said wickedly, "If you tell me why Trunks needed his hair dyed."

Pan's face suddenly paled even more. _Now she was being blackmailed_. _Great_. "If I tell you, I won't get grounded by mom?"

"I can pretty much garauntee it," Bulma said, her finger curling around the handle of the teacup.

The girl wiped the sweat off her forehead and exhaled loudly. _Maybe I can tell her without giving too much away..._"Alright. Fine, then. He dyed his hair so he could spy on someone he knows without being noticed." She said it all quickly, afraid she wouldn't be able to say it again.

Bulma's face lit up with surprise, "Oh! Really?" She thought about it for a moment. It made sense, after all. The concept was stupid, but there was no denying it. It sounded like something Trunks would do.

"Yes, that's why," Pan replied, hoping that was enough for Bulma. She turned to head towards the kitchen, praying Bulma would follow her and keep her end of the deal. But the woman stayed seated in the chair, a curious look cast on her face. Pan knew it wasn't a good sign when people had that look on their faces.

"And who was this person he was spying on?"

That was the bombshell that Pan had been dreading. She'd hoped that it wouldn't come to that, because she knew that unless she did something now or resist her, eventually she'd have to tell Bulma the truth.

"I don't have to tell you," Pan said coolly. _What's the worst that could happen? I get grounded? _She knew that keeping her promise to Trunks was worth getting grounded over. The blackmail meant nothing to her now.

"Fine," Bulma said with a coolness to match Pan's. "But if you don't, I'll just tell Videl that we had to shave his head off to regrow the hair you dyed. She won't be too happy about that, now will she?"

"_THAT'S A LIE_!" Pan burst out. She couldn't believe Bulma would say something like that, or even make something like it up.

But Bulma was desperate for this information her own son wouldn't even tell her, and she felt that something edgy like this was worth getting the information. Pan stared at her in horror as Bulma took a sip of tea.

"Maybe it's a lie," Bulma said with a cold voice, "But who's Videl going to believe?"

Pan knew that her mom would probably believe her daughter, but something in Bulma's eyes made her doubt this. She looked like she wanted to know this secret very bad and would pull some serious blackmailing to find out about it. Sweat started to form on her forehead again. _This isn't good, Pan. This is NOT good at all! What am I going to do?_

"So, Pan," Bulma said softly, as Pan swallowed loudly, "Who was my son spying on?"

"You know, you can make a mean sandwhich!" Goten said with a smile as he took another large bite out of his cheese, chicken, and ham sandwhich Marron had made for him. He hadn't had a sandwhich this good in a long time. He was sitting at the table in the kitchen savoring the lunch she'd cooked for him: the sandwhich along with potatoe salad, teriaki noodles, a large bowl of rice, and chicken noodle soup.

Marron blushed and turned away; she was standing by the sink making herself a sandwhich. "Thanks. I like cooking, actually."

"You do?" Goten said with a mouthful of food. He swallowed loudly and stared at her, "Why haven't you cooked any this week then?"

"I would have fixed breakfast," She smiled playfully, "But someone else seemed fit to do it for me."

"Well, tommorrow I'll make sure not to," Goten chuckled, starting on his soup. Marron giggled and turned back towards her sandwhich.

She finished her preparing her plate, which had a sandwhich and a bowl of rice on it, and sat beside Goten. The Demi-Saiyan had already finished his soup and sandwhich, and was starting on his rice. She stared at him eating for a moment in wonder.

"Did your dad eat like that?" Marron finally worked up the courage to ask.

"Oh, yeah!" Goten replied, finishing the rice in almost record time. "This is awesome, Marron!" He started on the potatoe salad.

"Thanks," She mumbled, but her mind was filled with the thought of Saiyan's appetites, and she caught herself wondering if their child would eat like that. _What are you THINKING, Marron? You aren't even married yet! This is not the time to think about CHILDREN!_

"You okay?" Goten asked her, a concerned look on his face. Marron realized that she'd been staring off into space, and not saying anything. She smiled apologetically.

"I'm sorry! I'm fine! Really!" She reassured him.

Goten nodded with doubt for a moment, then a smile burst onto his face, "Another flashback?"

Realizing what he'd said, Marron let out a sarcastic laugh, "Ha ha ha, smartass!" She said, giving him a playful punch in the arm.

"I seriously thought you were having one!" Goten smiled.

"Well thanks. Now you know how you look when you're having one every other minute!" She said with a sly grin, taking a bite out of her sandwhich. Goten grinned,

"So that's what it looks like," He replied thoughtfully.

The two sat in silence as they finished their meals. Goten was done quite a bit before Marron, but he let her finish before doing anything. After they finished, Marron grabbed the empty dishes from the table and placed them in the sink, while Goten stretched and finished his drink. He wiped his mouth and stared out the window. It looked nice out.

"Ready to start learning to control your energy?" He said with a smile.

Marron looked like she would have rather stayed inside longer, but she nodded her head anyway. "I'm ready to learn how to fly," She replied.

"Well, after we get the energy controlling part down, we'll definately be ready to learn how to fly, okay?" He opened the door for her and she led the way outside.

As she walked ahead of him, Goten had to smile. Marron looked so determined as she set foot outside, her hands on her hips and her eyes focused. Goten had to hold in a laugh. Her passion and anticipation reminded him of Videl's on the day she'd learned to fly. Goten sighed and raised his hands behind his head as he followed her outside, ready to begin training again.

_**Well, how was it? I enjoyed writing it alot, especially the scenes with Vegeta and Trunks! LOL, gotta luv 'em!**_

_**Well, I plan on the next chapter being a little longer than this one (YAY!) because more stuff will go on in it. As day Four rounds up, we'll see Marron and Goten do their energy control training, Bra and Uub's relationship get a little steamier () and Trunks decides that he needs to get his hands on his sister's blackmail! LOL, and how much longer will Bra and Uub's relationship remain a secret? Well, we'll find out next chapter!**_

_**If for some reason I can't finish the chapter before I leave on Tuesday, then I'll be back home Sunday and get back to work on it as soon as possible! Hopefully by next Monday I'll have it done! I hate to keep you guys waiting a week, so hopefully I can get it done! -crosses fingers- Here's hoping I can!**_

_**Thanks so much for the reviews and feel free to give me any suggestion or comments! I love you guys!**_

_**Romania Black**_


	19. Day Four, A Slip of The Hand

The Taming of the Saiyan

By Romania Black

**_So what's been shaking guys? Chapter Nineteen, the last chapter I'll have posted until I get back next Sunday, but this could be the LONGEST chapter I've ever written...in ANYTHING! LOL, so hopefully that will help keep you satisfied until I get back! This was one of the craziest and toughest chapters I've had to write, but It ended up being a blast at the end...heh heh, you'll see! _**

_**Anywhoo, enjoy the story and feel free to drop me a comment or suggestion! The Teen rating kind of comes into place in this story, so younger readers...know that! -points to younger readers- ...know that! LOL **_

_**This story is rated T for Teen due to brief language (From Vegeta and his offspring no less!) alcohol consumption, mild violence, and mild to moderate sexual themes (I think it's more moderate in this chapter anyway...) Get it? Got it? Good! **_

_**Disclaimer: I own NOTHING of Akira Toriyama...but if he wants to use any of my ideas...GO FOR IT! LOL**_

_**Reviews:**_

**_CheyaAngel: Thanks so much! -blushes- Me? A good writer? Thankies! That's so nice of you to say! LOL, so you're not a fan of the Trunks/Pan pairing? Hmmm...that's interesting. Well, I'm keeping my mouth shut on this one! For now anyway...And yes, Bulma IS verrrry sneaky! LOL, thanks so much for the review! Hope you like this chapter as much as the other ones!_**

**_Sinful Sakura: LOL, yay! You'll have to send me some step by step instructions then, because I have hardly any hand-eye-coordination when it comes to dancing! LOL, seriously, it's scary! Yes, I LOVE when Vegeta's angry too! LOL, so funny! Him and Trunks are so easy to write about for me...maybe I should do a father-son fic about them after I'm done with this story! LOL, eh? Well, thanks for the review and enjoy the chapter! I think you'll LOVE it...er, I hope you do anyway! _**

**_Kumori Ookami: Thanks so much for the review! I thought that sentence stuck out too! Videl's a neat person to write about, because she's my favorite female character in the DBZ story...other than Pan of course! Yes, Bulma is VERY determined! LOL, I think Vegeta could possibly be one of the coolest characters in DBZ, and he is hilarious in the show! LOL, I love the voice actor that does him, he hits the role head on! LOL, thanks so much, hope you like this chapter, Vegeta shines in it too!_**

**_Witch of Erie Knoll: ha ha ha, what a coincidence, because Trunks is found in a lot of CLOSETS in this chapter...bwahahaha, you'll have to read on to find out what I mean, but you had me in the floor with that one! LOL, you don't know how dead on you hit that one! seriously! But anywhoo, SUPER GLAD you liked the chapter, and I'm very happy I got this chapter done before I left! So you don't have to time me! LOL! Thanks for the review and enjoy the chapter!_**

_**Words can't express how lucky I am to have all you guys review my story! You are AWESOME! Each and every one of you! I hope you guys have a blast while I'm gone for the week! Thanks a MILLION for the reviews and I'll Catch ya on the flip side! Peace out, and rock ROCK on!**_

_**Romania Black**_

Chapter Nineteen: Day Four, A Slip of the Hand

The cool salty breeze ran through Goten's hair as the two stood outside Roshi's house, his eyes focused on the blonde beside him, who was fiddling with her shoe in the sand. He didn't know why he was staring at her and the shoe; there was nothing special about what she was doing. Just adjusting the strap on the back of it so the shoe would fit better. Nothing relevant, but he couldn't tear his eyes away. There was something about the simple task she was doing that put him in a trance. One that he could not seem to get out of until she was finished. A warm feeling rose in him as she finished and stared up at him with those deep blue eyes. He tried to smile, but it felt odd to.

Marron gave him a sweet grin, "Something interesting about my shoes?" She had obviously noticed he'd been watching her.

"Uhm, no, not really," Goten said with a nervous smile, scratching his head. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately. "Ready to start training again?"

She nodded her head in an instant, "Of course!" She jumped to her feet and rubbed her hands together enthusiastically.

"Alright then," Goten nodded his head and looked around, checking out the scenary around them. _I guess now's as good a time as any... _"Since you can pretty much make the energy balls no problem, let's focus on keeping them levitated in your palm, okay?"

Marron scowled, "They were staying in my hand before!"

Goten smiled nervously, "I don't think that three seconds at the most counts as control," He said with a gentleness to his voice to soften the blow of his words. Marron's eyes narrowed, but she didn't reply, though a stain of pink was cast over her cheeks. "Anyway," Goten started again, trying to avoid an awkward moment, "Let's just form an energy ball and see what happens, shall we?"

Marron nodded and held her hands out, palms facing up. In a few short moments, a bright aqua ball of light was floating above her hands. No sooner had it appeared, however, it was sailing from her hands and with a swift motion, crashed into the ocean with a loud splash. Water shot into the air, and dropped back down, small waves rippling off the surface of the water where the ball had landed. Marron looked with anxiousness towards Goten, who was staring at the ocean with an unreadable look upon his face.

"Okay," He said finally, after the waves had subsided, "That right there?" He pointed to the ocean where the energy blast had landed, "That's bad."

"You think?" Marron raised an eyebrow skeptically, her voice sarcastic. "It's happened every time I've made one!" Her face looked hopeless.

"And that's okay," Goten placed a hand on her shoulder to reassure her. "You just need to learn to control it, that's all."

"How are we going to do that?" Marron asked him, her voice still laced with dispair.

Goten smiled, as if expecting the question, "What we're going to do is concentrate like we did creating the energy balls, but this time we're going to focus on keeping the energy in your hands, okay?"

Marron's face lit up a bit, "That doesn't sound too hard." Her voice seemed hopeful.

Goten nodded, "It shouldn't be." He stretched his arms behind his head, "Ready to give it a try?"

Marron nodded her head immediately, "I'm ready!"

"Okaaaay," Goten said slowly, his back straightening up and the hair whipping through his ebony locks. He grasped Marron's hands in his and held them out at arm's length. "Now, focus on the energy ball, but concentrate on _keeping _it in your hands. Don't _let _it sail away." His voice was firm, but calm. Marron nodded and closed her eyes.

For a moment, there was silence. Then the blue sphere of light appeared in Marron's hands. Marron closed her eyes shut tighter as she felt the ball starting to lift free from her grasp. _No! _She screamed in her mind, trying to force the ball to stay, _You will not leave my hands...you will not leave my hands... _the chant was slow in her mind at first, but grew in volume and speed_, You will not leave my hands, YOU WILL NOT LEAVE MY HANDS!_

"Great!" Goten's voice boomed out of the darkness. Marron slowly opened her eyes to see that the ball was staying in the palm of her hands, floating with a strained gesture, as if it wanted to burst loose at any second, but still restrained nonetheless.

"I did it!" Marron yelled in excitement and joy, but as she spoke the energy burst from her hands and into a palm tree beside them. Marron gasped in surprise as the tree toppled into the ocean. She was speechless, her face crestfallen, but Goten grabbed her hands in happiness.

"It's okay!" He comforted her, seeing the shocked and failured look on her face, "You held it!"

"For a minute," Marron said with a doubtful frown.

"But that's, like," Goten had to stop and do his math for a minute, something he was particularly bad at, "5000 better than before!" _To Hell with it, _He thought. _5000 sounds good to me!_

"So that wasn't bad that I let it go?" Marron asked softly.

"Well, you can't hold onto it forever," Goten smiled that trademark goofy Son family smile, "Besides, you were controlling it! That's what this training is all about! Control!" He smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder, "You were in control that time."

"So now I can learn to fly?" Marron asked hopefully.

Goten's smile fell a little. _She's really impatient about this, isn't she? _"Let's try it a few more times first, okay?"

Her face fell as quickly as the hopeful look had arrived, "You keep saying we need to _try a few more times_. When am I going to learn to fly?"

"I promise, a little more control training, and we'll get straight to the flying part," Goten reassured her.

Marron nodded curtly, but she didn't look as thrilled about the control training as before. _This is taking forever..._

Ten-thousand push-ups for a normal person would have taken a long time to do and would have deeply strained them, that was certain. But Trunks felt like he'd gotten off somewhat easy. At least his father hadn't watched him do them, actually. That was almost torture, his father's foot stomped on his back, counting each pushup with an annoying monotonous voice. It drove Trunks mad just thinking about how it could have been.

He sighed with a bit of relief, _Oh well. Ten-thousand pushups were worth it, I guess. At least I didn't have to help him with the dishes, _And to this Trunks found himself laughing out loud. But he calmed himself down as he entered the kitchen, making sure that Vegeta didn't catch him laughing, lest he ask him why. Trunks wasn't sure he could lie to his father about it.

The kitchen was very quiet. Vegeta had put away the dishes and drained the water out of the sink as that stupid wife of his had asked him to and was currently sitting at the kitchen table stuffing his face with rice and noodles. Doing dishes had oddly worked up an appetite in him, and it was almost insatiable.

Trunks was about to walk past his father and avoid confrontation, when Vegeta's voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Sooo," the Saiyan's voice was harsh and cold, "Finished with those exercises, boy?"

"I wouldn't be here if I wasn't," Trunks replied just as cold. He didn't really want to talk to his father now, but rather leave him to his rice and escape to his room for a long hour of rest. But that didn't look likely at the moment.

"Don't get cocky with me," his father growled, eyeing him darkly. "Sit down." He motioned to the food on the table, "Eat something so you can regain a little strength from your warmup."

"My warmup?" Trunks said with a raised eyebrow as he took a seat beside him.

"Yes, son, your warmup." The Prince had a cruel look upon his face, "I was unfortunately distracted from my normal training time," His eyes glanced over to the sink with a look of pure hatred, "and need to catch up on my routine."

"So go out and train," Trunks was about to stand out of his seat, but Vegeta reached out a arm and sat him back down, "Why do you need me?"

"For one thing, it will be better training if I have someone to spar with. And you're the only person in this house at the moment that I can spar with that presents an actual challenge," Then his face let his trademark smirk appear, and his eyes glinted maliciously, "Second, it will serve as good punishment for you."

"Punishment? What--?" Trunks stammered. _I didn't tease him that bad! What's this about? _The voice in his mind sounded fearful.

"Don't be stupid," Vegeta scowled, "You know exactly what this is about!"

Trunks sputtered, "Father--I---I honestly don't kn--"

"I have told you time and time again that you are not to be _DRINKING _heavy amounts of _ALCOHOL _at this house!" Vegeta bursted out angrily.

Trunks practically fell out of his seat. "_WHAT_?"

"When I got done with those damn dishes, I went upstairs and happened to have found this," Vegeta reached beside him and pulled out an empty bottle of wine, followed by two full ones, "Lying beside your bed in your room."

"What? Those aren't mine!" Trunks couldn't believe what his father was saying. "I've never even seen those before!"

"Oh, sure you haven't," Vegeta said in a cold, sarcastic tone, "They were just lying there in your room, right in plain sight, and you didn't ever notice them." His face was furious, but there was a triumphant gleam in his eyes.

"Dad, I honestly don't--"

"It doesn't matter, son," His father said with a twisted smile, "Don't make me excuses. What's done is done. However," His face lit up in anger, "If I find you _EVER _with this much liquor in your posession, I will _PERSONALLY _make it incapable for you to consume anymore alcohol _AGAIN_!"

Trunks personally did not want to know how someone could make it impossible for another to consume liquor, but knowing his father, Vegeta was probably the one that would and could do it. He gulped and sat in silence, as his father seemed to compose himself.

"Now," Vegeta stood up, "You and I are going to spar with me this afternoon. That is final. Do you understand?" His voice was almost murderous.

"Yes...father," Trunks mumbled and followed his dad to the training facility.

_This had to be some kind of joke_. The Demi-Saiyan knew his father didn't approve of Trunks' love of alcohol and constantly reminded him how it made Trunks' a poorer fighter after he'd downed several drinks. Vegeta said that the liquor made him weak and that alone was unacceptable.

A frown appeared on Trunks' face as he followed his father gravely to the Training Chamber. _I am going to find out who'd set me up, that's for sure. _He had an idea who would have done such a thing, but the thought alone disturbed him. Forcing the image of his suspect from his mind, he concentrated on how to deal with the serious pounding his father was about to lay into him. The outcome in his mind did not look promising.

Vegeta smirked as his son and him left the house for the training facility. He had decided he would leave the mess on the table for Bulma. He figured that wife of his could clean it up herself, since he'd done the dishes for her afterall.

The Prince of the Saiyans smiled as he saw his moritfied son's expression out of the corner of his eye. Trunks would learn a lesson by getting a serious beating from his old man, and that woman of his would learn the price of making the Prince of all Saiyans do housework.

_Yes, _Vegeta thought with an evil grin,_ today is shaping up to be a good day after all..._

Goten couldn't believe how much she'd improved from this morning. She had almost mastered controlling the energy spheres, or at least mastered keeping them in her hand. She still needed some work on aiming them at objects, but that wasn't necessary for flight, just attacking. Goten was amazed at her progress. _Must have been that awesome lunch, _He thought to himself with a small chuckle. _At this rate she'll be ready to learn to fly by tommorrow!_

"Ha!" Marron exclaimed joyfully, the ball of blue light floating perfectly in her hand, "Ten minutes! Ten minutes, Goten!" Her face looked simply overjoyed. She would not have dreamed this moment possible an hour ago when they'd began their control training.

"That's amazing, Marron!" Goten replied, his face lit up, "I've never seen someone learn as fast as you!"

She balanced the ball on the end of her fingertips, letting it gently roll in the air back and forth above her palm, "Still," She said softly, turning to Goten, "I'd like to learn to control it once it's in the air."

The Demi-Saiyan shook his head, "That's not necessary, Marron. You don't need to know it to fly. Just the control part, which you've obviously mastered." He nudged his head towards the glowing orb in her hands.

"Are you sure?" Marron was still uneasy, "Can't I just go ahead and learn how to control their movement? Or at least some form of aiming?"

Goten's mouth formed a broad grin, "I thought that you wanted to skip all this unimportant stuff and go straight to the flying lessons," His eyebrows raised, "Having a change of heart?"

"I want to learn to fly soon," Marron said defensively, "But I also want to learn this too! Please, Goten?" She gazed at him with pleading blue eyes.

Goten felt his stomach twisting in knots, and his lungs shriveling. That look on her face was enough to make him melt into a puddle at her feet.

"O--okay," He finally managed to croak out, "But are you certain you want to learn this?"

"Yes," Marron didn't even hesitate with her answer. "Then tommorrow we'll start the actual flying lessons?" She raised an eyebrow, "No more stalling?"

"Depends on what you call 'stalling'," Goten smirked mischieviously, "But yes, tommorrow for sure, we'll start the flying lessons."

Marron smiled, as the breeze whipped through her blonde hair, "Wonderful," She said eagerly. "Now how do I aim?"

He sighed, not sure how to explain this one. Gohan never had when they were learning. "Well, it's not too hard; you just have to guide the sphere from your hand to the desired object. It requires a little more concentration with just levitating the ball, but once you have it done, it's simple." He said matter-of-factly.

Nodding her blonde head, Marron smiled curtly, "I see. What happens if it sails towards something I DON'T want to hit? Can I stop it then?"

"What do you mean?" Goten was slightly puzzled, having never heard that one before.

Marron blushed, "I saw my father do it once. He had sent an attack to an opponent, but at the last minute, he did something to the energy disc, and it sailed away from the opponent and into a tree...or something, I don't remember all that well. But he had done it with ease." She looked to Goten for an explanation.

"Oh," Realization hit him, "To thrust an attack away from someone? I see...it's not too difficult, but we could try it."

"Can we?" Marron's face lit up as if a lamp was directly on it. "I've always wanted to learn that!"

Goten chuckled, eyeing her suspiciously, "I thought you didn't like to fight. That it was stupid!" He bore a sly grin, to which Marron matched it with her own clever smile.

"I don't approve of the tournaments and meaningless fighting," She said simply, "But it'd be nice to know a little self defense...in case I need it, you know." She said in an attempted casual voice, throwing her blonde hair back and looking rather fierce.

_You need self defense? _Goten thought with a small protective frown"I wouldn't let anything happen to you, Marron," Goten said before he fully realized the words had left his mouth. He stared at her as a burning sensation rose in his face, but she looked anything but offended. She actually looked happy at his words.

"That's sweet, Goten," She managed to say, the apples of her cheeks a rosy pink. "But I still want to learn anyway."

"Right," Goten took a moment to compose himself. "Just take the sphere in your hands and focus on where you want it to go, and if you concentrate hard enough...it will," He smiled, realizing that was all that there was to it. "That's it."

Marron couldn't believe it was that simple, "That's it?"

"Yep," Goten replied, feeling an awkward silence coming on. Sure enough, it came shortly after, leaving the two in silence on the sandy shoreline.

Taking in the silence, Marron closed her eyes and focused all of her energy on an object. The first thing that came to mind was the palm tree about six feet from the couple. She felt the coolness of the aqua orb in her hands and felt it slowly rising above her palms. She forced her mind to focus on the tree. A small force seemed to reach out into her subconscious and steady the ball of light until it was in the direct path of the palm tree. Suddenly, the energy blast sailed from her fingertips and headed smack dab towards the palm tree beside them, but at the last minute, a force inside her seemed to cause it to miss the tree and fly into the ocean. The orb splashed into the water and sent the area of ocean it had hit up into the air for a brief moment.

Marron opened her eyes in shock and amazement. "I--I--I did it!" She stuttered, her eyes wide with surprise.

Goten smiled broadly as he stared at the woman next to him smile with more happiness than he'd ever seen her with. He didn't dare tell her that he'd secretly helped her along by guiding the ball of energy with his own energy. He didn't want to crush her spirits, but he hoped she would abandon the flying lessons for the day. He was actually starting to feel a bit tired.

"Did you see that, Goten?" Marron asked him urgently, her face full of joy and amazement.

Goten could see she was obviously proud of what she'd done. "It was incredible, Marron," Goten said with a cheerful voice.

Marron beamed a smile he'd never seen before. For the first time, she looked proud, and more confident than she had since they'd left her house. Not really thinking about what to do next, Marron wrapped her arms around Goten's neck and embraced him. He could feel the warmth spreading through him, her oversized pink sweatshirt shoved against his chest. The warmth of her skin tickled his neck as she hugged him, and he could smell the perfume that was under her chin. She smelled like flowers. _How odd... _Goten thought

"Oh, thank you Goten!" Marron cried out, the smile still on her face.

"I didn't do that much," He admitted. _She'd done all the work, after all. _"You're the one that did everything, not me!" He suddenly didn't want to let her go from their embrace, so he held her tighter as she buried her face in his chest.

"Goten," She said softly, looking up at him with those sensual blue eyes that he loved so much, "Tommorrow we're going to learn to fly, right?"

"Of course," He smiled down at her, "Whatever you wish."

She didn't say anything else, instead she nestled her head against his chest, too happy of her accomplishments for words. She felt the slow rising and falling of his chest and suddenly felt a droplet of water splash onto her forehead. She gazed up to see that he had fallen asleep, his head tilted downward and a trace of drool coming from his mouth.

_I've worn him out, _Marron thought, surpressing a giggle as she reached up and wiped his mouth with her fist. She looked up, the sun wasn't at the highest point in the sky anymore, and Marron would have guessed that it was almost two O' clock.

She sighed and lay her head back against his chest as the two sat on the sand. As he let out a soft snore, she closed her eyes and allowed herself to soak in the warm sunlight from overhead. At that moment, the concept of flying and learning to fly seemed somewhat irrelevant with Goten's arms wrapped around her. She felt safe from anything, as if the strongest wave or gust of wind wouldn't separate them. She smiled, as she started to drift asleep in his arms, the two bathed in the afternoon sun, the cool breeze whipping through their hair.

_There's no sense to wake him_, she thought as they sat together on the shoreline, _We won't start flying lessons until tommorrow anyway..._

Trunks sat there, his eyes, ears, mouth, legs, and almost every other region of his body, save one region, (which he was particularly thankful it had been spared) was so sore he could hardly move. His father had worked up a lot of energy while scrubbing those dishes apparently, because he'd been relentless on his son. Still, he felt like Vegeta had worn himself out almost as much as Trunks, because he hadn't said a whole lot once they were finished sparring. He simply reminded his son how alcohol affected his training in such a negative manner and headed off for the healing tank in the basement to renergize from the fight. Trunks felt that he'd done well against his father, although now he was feeling the aftershocks of that small victory.

Aching in places he hadn't even been sure existed, he headed towards his room. With his mother gone, he could nap for maybe an hour or two before heading to the bathroom to attempt to wash the last remaining dye from his hair.

He was about to reach his room's door when he heard a rustling in his room. His first instinct was to burst into the room and attack whatever was on the other side, but something in his gut told him that he shouldn't do that. Suddenly he heard a giggle that he instantly recognized; it was Bra's. Hurrying to get out of sight, he ducked into the open closet that was in the hallway beside his room and hid amongst the old coats and jackets that hung there.

From the shadows, he saw Bra. She was reaching under his bed and grabbing--Trunks's eyes widened--an empty sack that had once contained the liquor Vegeta had found. A frown appeared on her face,

"Where did those wine bottles go?" She said to herself looking around. "I know I hid them somewhere here..." Her voice trailed off.

Trunks wasn't sure whether he was more angry at the fact that it was her fault he'd gotten such a massive beating today, or if he was angrier at the fact that she was using his room to store HER liquor in. He felt his face burning as he watched his sister search his room for the wine bottles he knew was in the kitchen on the table. She scratched her head, and placed her hands on her hips. Just then her cellular phone beeped. She picked it up and a smile lit up her face.

"Oh, hey! Yeah, you can still come over! No, no, dad's in the healing tank downstairs, he won't know," She said with a reassuring voice. Trunks assumed that it was Uub she was talking to. "Yes, come on over! I have a special treat for us!" She said in a seductive voice, as she looked around the room some more. Obviously, the treat was the wine. "Okay, bye!" She hung up the phone and left the room, heading for the kitchen.

Trunks knew she'd find the wine there, but he didn't care. He was suddenly furious and full of rage. He couldn't believe his sister would have left all that in his room when she knew if their father had found out he was a dead man. Well, he'd found out, and Trunks sure wasn't dead, but he'd been threatened with it already if he was caught in the same situation again.

_The nerve of her! _He thought with a hateful frown_, I've kept her secret hidden and this is the thanks I get? That's it-- _He staggered out of the closet and headed towards Bra's room. He decided enough was enough. _She is not going to get away with this any longer...I'm through telling lies and keeping secrets! _He threw open the door to her room, certain she couldn't hear it from the kitchen and walked in, not bothering to turn on the lights.

Her room had a lot of pink and red in it, the four post bed draped over in red gossimer. Her room was neat and tidy, save for the fashion magazines strung loosely across the floor with several of her shirts draped on the headboard of her bed. He looked around until he saw the brown tripod table with her purse lying on it. Not thinking about personal privacy or the fact that she would have killed him if she'd saw him with it, he grabbed the purse and quickly opened it in the darkness.

Rumaging his hand through it he finally found what he'd wanted. The small white piece of paper that was the bar tab from the mall. He held it in his hand and felt a surge of power rush through him. He had the blackmail, he had the only amount of power Bra had over him in the palm of his hand. He nearly reeled at the thought that without this piece of paper, she had nothing on him.

_Nothing at all..._

He tore the paper in half and then forming an energy ball in his hand, he watched as the orange glow of the sphere in his palm burnt the paper to a crisp. He smiled and let the flame die, the ashes from the tiny piece of paper falling onto the floor and blending with the charcoal colored carpet.

A very smug Vegeta-like look on his face, Trunks let out a sigh and closed her purse, placing it back on the table where it had been. _That's that, I guess. _He thought with a great deal of satisfaction_, Now she doesn't have anything on me and I can tell--_

"How did you manage to hide that wine for so long?" A voice came from outside the room. It was Uub's.

Trunks, the satisfied smile vanishing from his face and being replaced with a look of panic, did the only thing he could at that moment; he jumped into her closet and hid back in the right corner of it. _What's with me and closets today? _Trunks thought as he leaned back behind one of Bra's lavender gowns. He hoped and prayed they wouldn't need any use from the closet, because then he'd surely be screwed.

Bra walked into the room, two wine glasses in her hand, and a bottle of wine in the other. Uub followed her in, a small smile on his face, the other wine bottle in his hand. Bra grabbed the liquor from Uub and sat the wine bottles down on the tripod table by her purse, along with the glasses and reached over to her dress wardrobe, where several candles where sitting on top of it. She didn't turn the lights on, but instead reached into a drawer on the wardrobe and pulled out a box of matches, lighting the candles so it created a romantic glow.

Trunks did not like where this was heading.

"I hid it in Trunks' room," Bra said nonchalantly. Trunks felt his blood boil, but maintained his silence. There was NO WAY he could let them know he was in her closet at that moment.

"That's a bit cruel," Uub said with a frown, as he poured himself a glass, "Won't he get in trouble if Vegeta finds out?"

Bra poured herself a glass and sat on her bed, sipping it, "Maybe." She seemed thoughtful for a moment, "Oh well." She took another sip.

_OH WELL! _Trunks roared in his mind, and almost yelled it out too, but he held it in as Uub started to speak again.

"Still, that's kind of mean, Bra," He said with a guilty voice. Bra smiled at him,

"He's my brother, I can do what I want with him," She said with a sigh.

Trunks wished he could have strangled her at that moment, sister of his or not. He wished he could have burst from the closet and chewed her out for being so disrespectful, but of course, he couldn't. At the moment he was hiding in her clothes closet. The silliness of the situation struck him at that second, and he realized how bad a position he was in.

"If you say so," Uub finally said, after finishing his glass. Bra downed her glass as well and they both refilled them.

There was a moment of silence between them, and Trunks wished they would talk...or something...anything to kill the silence, because he was afraid they would be able to hear him breathing in the midst of the quietness. _Come on you two, _Trunks thought anxiously_, start talking again..._

"Uub, I've been thinking," Bra said finally, and Trunks was relieved the silence was broken, "About us."

"What about us?" Uub asked, taking another drink from his glass.

"We've only been dating for a few days, and yet," She paused and stared at him, "It seems like we've known each other forever."

Trunks felt a sickening feeling in his stomach. Usually that was a bad sign of something.

"I know," Uub said softly, as he reached for her face. He touched her chin with his dark finger, that looked even darker against her ivory skin.

"I just feel so...different when you're here, Uub," Bra said with a fiery smile.

"Different than when you were with Goten," He drew his finger from her, his words laced with jealousy. Trunks really didn't want to hear this conversation.

"I've gotten over Goten," Bra said coolly, but her eyes were on fire as she said this. "I want to be with you, Uub."

Trunks was sure that he hit his head on the clothes rack, but luckily no sound was made. Either way, his head was pounding, as well as his heart. _What did she just say? _He thought as he rubbed the back of his head, trying to keep quiet.

"What do you mean, Bra?" Uub asked, but in his heart he somewhat knew the answer.

"You're the only person I've ever met that's stuck by me when I was acting like a complete witch," She said to him and she sat her wine glass down. "I've treated you like dirt, and you never walked away." She was edging closer to him.

"You have your moments," Uub admitted, his face blushing as she got nearer, but he didn't back away. "But you're not always a witch."

_That's because you've only been with her four days, _Trunks thought grimly, not liking where this was heading more and more.

Bra looked into his dark eyes that were like pools of black and smiled, amused, "You're not scared of me, are you?"

Uub placed her hand in his as he sat his wine glass down behind him. "Why should I be?" He asked firmly.

"Everyone else is," She said with a bare trace of sadness in her voice, "Everyone I meet has some sort of fear of me."

"Well, I'm not everyone," Uub said slowly, his eyes locking with hers. "And I'm not afraid of you, Bra."

They were so close their eyelashes were almost meeting. For a second there was silence, and then without warning the two embraced each other, Uub's arms wrapping around Bra's back, him pulling her towards him. She craned her neck back as he kissed her lips and then kissed down her neck, Bra meanwhile passionately kissing him on the cheek by his ear.

Trunks felt like he was going to hurl and forced himself to turn away and bury his face into the lavender gown beside him, trying to force out what he'd just seen. _Oh...my...GOD! _He felt sick. Very, very, sick.

The two seemed to lean back and fall on the bed, Bra stroking her man's arms. They were tight and muscular, more so than Trunks or Goten's. They reminded her of her father's arms when he'd been in the prime of his life, during the end of the Buu battle. She'd been so little then, she really didn't remember much of it. But she'd seen enough pictures of him then to know he had been in the prime of his days. She smiled as he kissed her face again, his dark skin against hers. _Goten has nothing on this..._ she thought as he ran a hand through her long blue hair.

To Uub she was gorgeous, a rose that was more beautiful than anything he'd ever seen, but with thorns that could cut to one's very soul. She was so fiery it was unreal, her passion was raw and pure, the smell of her lingering perfume on her wrists as she rubbed them against his face, bringing him towards her to kiss again. He lost all sense of feeling when she kissed him, nothing seemed important to him anymore when her lips locked with his. She had such a strong will too. _She would have made an excellent fighter..._He thought, and then remembered who her father was. He looked into her dark ocean eyes and saw something there that he had never truly seen before.

Love. She was staring at him with a loving--_Loving? Bra...with a loving look?_--on her face that matched the sensualness of her eyes.

Uub realized that she was in love with him, and a swelling of happiness exploded inside him. He wasn't some rebound or short term thing. She actually was in love with him. He brought her closer to him with his arms and kissed her so powerfully, she almost seemed to draw away, but in an instant she was attached to his lips, her fiery passion meeting his happiness in one instantaneous kiss.

To Bra he was perfect for her, a handsome warrior with a mysterious soul and the muscle to defend his morals and hers. He was passionate, and truly intelligent, not goofy like Goten, but charming and witty. His dark skin fascinated her, as well as his dark soulful eyes. She'd never met anyone like him, and he was indeed different from any man she'd ever met. He took in everything she said with the blink of an eye, but understood and empathized with every bit of it. She knew in the moment she'd first kissed him, this was the man for her. She wanted to caress him, love him, be with him night and day, no matter what. And if they argued, she knew it would pass, because he was forgiving of her. He needed her, he wanted her, and couldn't bear to be without her.

That was the difference between him and Goten. Goten had never truly needed Bra. He'd just loved her and dated her, but he could go for periods of time without her and not fuss about it. And it drove her crazy. On the other hand, Uub needed her. He grew restless when she wasn't around and she could tell it. She liked this power he gave her, this dependence he had for her enticed her and made her love him even more.

_For the first time in my life, Uub, I'm in love, _She thought, almost saying it out loud, but their passionate kisses wouldn't allow it.

To Trunks, this entire scene was nausiating enough to make him hurl all over the closet and every last dress she'd ever owned. He wanted to do something, scratch a hole in the wall, teleport, knock himself unconscious...anything to get him away from this disgusting love fest. It was too much for him to see his little sister making out with someone he actually considered a friend. He had never watched Goten and Bra make out, and was thoroughly glad for that now that he was being forced to watch this. The slits in the closet door were small, but big enough he could see every bit of what was going on. And what he saw was driving him insane.

Uub let go of his girlfriend, and involuntarily took of his shirt. Bra's eyes widened at the sight of his chest. _Was it more muscular than it had been before? _She thought, thinking of their night in the training chamber. Uub saw her eyes grow wider and gave her a thoughtful look.

"What is it?" He asked in almost a whisper.

"When did you get so strong?" She replied softly, pulling him to her, his lips locking with hers again. She could smell a tinge of salty sweat on his chest, and realized it had been from when he'd worked out earlier. She ran a hand down his chest, and he almost drew away, her hands were so cool. But he held steady and ran a hand down her back in return. She smiled through their kiss and wrapped her hands around his waist as they lay on her bed kissing, the red gossimer seeming to enclose them.

Vegeta had been in his healing tank for at least two hours, and felt like his wounds were healing perfectly. Usually it took longer than four for all his injuries to heal, but for some odd reason, they'd healed earlier than that.

The Prince of Saiyans stepped out of the tank and threw on the brown slacks and a yellow shirt he'd found lying about the basement. _At least it's not pink! _He thought to himself, a good feeling rising inside him. Since he had healed himself up in two hours, half the time it normally took, he could go and train some more to make up for the time he'd already lost cleaning dishes.

He made his way up the stairs, pondering if he should ask Trunks to join him. But he quickly concluded that his son was most likely too sore to even move. _He did get beaten fairly hard today, _a small pinch of guilt in his gut, but he immediately scowled to himself and shook off the notion. _That boy needed to learn a lesson..._he reassured himself_, Besides...he'll probably sleep all day today and feel better in the morning..._

Vegeta decided that a good gallon of milk was in order and walked into the kitchen; to his surprise the empty and half-eaten cartons of rice and noodles were still on the table.

_Why hasn't that woman cleaned this up? _Vegeta thought in wonder. _How could she have not noticed it? _He knew if she had she would have immediately cleaned it up, Bulma was just a neat freak like that. Vegeta looked around the kitchen, and realized he couldn't sense her Ki in the house.

A slight creeping feeling of panic washed over Vegeta. _Where is she? It's almost five O' Clock and she's not back yet! What if she's in trouble? What if she's--_

At that moment, the back door opened up and Bulma came walking into the house, a look on her face that was a mixed look of happiness and shock. She stared from the messy table to the empty sink and then back to Vegeta, her face unreadable.

"Vegeta, why is there this mess--"

"Where have you been woman?" Vegeta shouted, angry that she'd made him worry about her like that, "Do you realize what time it is?"

Bulma frowned, placing her hands on her hips, "Excuse me, I didn't know I had a curfew!" She stared at the table in slight disgust. "Why is all this here?" She motioned towards the table.

"It was my lunch!" The prince snapped, "Since someone's been gone and didn't return to fix me anything, I did it myself!"

"And you didn't think to clean it up?" Bulma asked with a sneer.

"I already did the lousy dishes for you! I thought you could handle this!" He growled, "Here I am, doing all this work for you on a perfectly good training day and you're out pilfering and gossiping and causing me to worry about your sorry ass--"

"You were worried about me?" Bulma interrupted softly, a small sweet smile forming on her face.

Vegeta grimaced and slapped a hand to his face, "Just---just shut up, woman," He looked away, not thinking of anything to say to her. As much as he hated to say it, he HAD been worried about her. But there was no chance in Hell he'd let her know that.

"Alright," Bulma smiled, and started to clean up the mess on the table. "If you say so."

"Just where we you, anyway?" Vegeta finally managed to ask her, an eyebrow raised.

Bulma suddenly seemed transfixed, as if she'd just remembered something. "OH! I completely forgot! Vegeta, I just found out something incredible!" Her eyes seemed surprised, but joyful. Vegeta frowned, he hated worthless gossip.

"What? Did we win another house or something?" He didn't like the smile on her face.

"NO, better!" Bulma walked over to him, "Now this may seem hard for you to understand, honey--" She paused and looked at him nervously.

"For Goodness sakes, woman, spit it out!" Vegeta hated it when she tried to stall the inevitable with long speeches.

"Dear, Bra's found herself a new boyfriend," She smiled with a bit of nervousness, awaiting Vegeta's reaction.

"_WHAT_?" He bellowed, his eyes narrowing, "Who? It had better not be Kakarot's--"

"It's not Goten or anyone related to Goku, dear," Bulma tried to explain. _At least I don't THINK they're related..._

Vegeta scowled, _It had better NOT BE! _"Well, who is the rat? Where is he? I want information, woman!" He demanded.

"Don't get upset Vegeta, I want our daughter to be happy. This may just be the one--"

"The one what?" The Prince of Saiyans demanded.

"The one for her, Vegeta. This could be someone she's thinking about future plans with." Bulma tried to say it softly enough.

Vegeta's eyes widened, "_I DON'T THINK SO_!" He roared, "We'll see about that! Who is he? I want to have a nice chat with this earthling who thinks he's going to start a future with _my _daughter!" He wanted to find this boy and break his legs in half. Then he'd see how much fun being a part of _THIS _family would be!

"He's a nice person, Vegeta. You know him!" Bulma said, her arms crossed.

Vegeta stared at his wife. _I know this person? Who? If it's not Goten...who could it be? _"Who is it, Bulma?" He figured saying the woman's name might incline her to tell him. It usually worked anyway.

His wife stared at him with a sense of fondness, after he'd called her by her name. The Prince knew she was about to tell him.

"Vegeta...I couldn't believe it when I found out...it's Uub, dear!" Bulma finally burst out, her face looking as surprised as his, but happy too.

The Prince of Saiyans suddenly felt as if someone had rammed a machete through his internal organs and ripped them out with their hands.

"Wha--what did you say?" His voice for the first time in a long time was a slight bit weaker.

"Her new boyfriend is Uub! I know, I was shocked by it too," Bulma patted him on the back.

Vegeta slapped her hand away, causing Bulma to give him a confused look.

"And this boy---" The words were caught in his throat, "--He wants to start a future with my daughter?" He could hardly believe his ears.

"Well, yes, dear," His wife replied with nervous cheer, "That's just what I've heard anyway. It's the impression I caught."

Vegeta felt like he was going to fall down in shock, but the rage building up inside him kept his standing straight. "That lousy---!" His fists clenched tight and the blood seemed to coarse faster through his veins.

Bulma eyed him with a suspicious glance, "What is it, honey?"

Vegeta looked at his wife and an odd gleam caught his eye, "What is it? You want to know what it is?" His voice was malicious.

"I believe that's what I asked," Bulma rolled her eyes. _He is so troublesome at times._

"I'll tell you what it is! That lousy daughter of ours came home earlier and told me she was going to be doing paperwork for Capsule Corp. in her room all afternoon and most of the evening--"

"So? What's wrong with that?" Bulma couldn't believe this was bothering him.

Vegeta's face suddenly grew cold and serious, "She said she'd be doing her paperwork upstairs with Uub."

Bulma thought her heart might have stopped for a second, her mouth dropping open in surprise.

Seeing his wife's reaction, Vegeta gave her a grim smile, "And this boy you say is wanting to start a future with her? Well, sounds to me like they have all afternoon to start--"

**_"BRA!" _**Bulma ran off towards the stairs, her husband following behind her, his fists clenched, ready to break some legs.

Trunks wanted to rip his ears off and force the sounds of their voices to go away. He probably would have if he hadn't have thought of the effects the decision would have on his hearing. He decided to look back through the slits of the closet door to see what was going on.

He saw Uub with his shirt off, and that worried Trunks a lot, because once shirts started coming off, it was pretty obvious what was going to happen. The dark figure kissed Bra again, and Trunks saw his fingers unbutton Bra's lavender blouse. His eyes widened. _Stop that! _He screamed in his mind. _Keep that on! Bra, why aren't you stopping him? _The voice in his head whined.

But apparently Bra wasn't concerned about her blouse, as she took a swig of wine and set it back onto the table, letting the blouse fall off her shoulders and into the floor. She smiled wickedly to Uub and pointed down; she had on a white camisole under the blouse.

Trunks felt a huge wave of relief sweep over him. He did not plan on seeing his sister topless any time soon. _That's just...wrong!_

Uub smiled, "So you love me, huh?" She caressed her cheek.

"That depends," She said slyly, "Do you love me?"

"I think you know the answer to that," He whispered just loud enough for Trunks to hear.

Another wave of nausea. _Good Lord...I have to get out of here! _He stopped as he realized what was about to happen. _Hello! _He screamed at them in his head, _Ever heard of a thing called PROTECTION?_

Uub was slowly wrapping a finger around the thin strap of her camisole. He let one strap fall onto her lower shoulder and started to do the same with the other. He smiled as he did this, and Bra smiled back.

This was all Trunks could take. He could not believe that they were going to do it...and without a condem at that! He began to shake all over. _This is my sister...this is my sister that he's about to do...and I have to stop them...I am SO going to regret this for the rest of my life...but still..._

_...she's my sister..._

Uub was reaching down to take her shirt off. That was the final straw for Trunks.

**_"STOP!" _**He burst out of the closet, which he immediately regretted.

There was the most awkward silence that Trunks' had ever witnessed that followed. Uub's hands dropped to his side, his dark face had turned ghostly white, and he had a mortified expression on his face, as if Trunks was some sort of demon or spirit. Bra looked horrified as well, but her face was contorted with anger. She quickly pulled the straps of her camisole back up and gave her brother the most deadly stare he'd ever seen.

"What in _THE HELL _are you doing in my closet!" She roared, her face turning bright red in the glow of the candlelight.

"What in _THE HELL _are you doing with him!" Trunks retorted, throwing her blouse back to her in anger. "Are you just stupid, or do you really not care about anything at all?"

"This is none of your business, Trunks!" Bra snapped, standing up, the blouse still in her hands. "You're not my father!"

"No, I'm your brother, and that's just as important," He said with a growl. Uub was about to stand up, but one look from Trunk sat him back down on the bed. Bra's brother looked on the verge of snapping and seriously injuring either Bra and Uub. To tell anyone the truth, the Demi-Saiyan didn't know who he was more angry at, at the moment. "You sit down!"

"You don't tell him what to do!" Bra hissed.

"What were you thinking, Bra? You didn't even have a condem!" He said, his face full of rage and disbelief.

"_What's this about a condem?" _

The three in the room stopped and stared at the doorway, where the question had came from, in horror.

Leaning up against the doorframe was Vegeta, his arms crossed and his eyes wide in fury. Bulma was standing beside him, her hands on her hips with a look that could have matched his in anger. Uub felt his heart fall to the floor, as Trunks' stomach did as well. Bra simply stared at her father and tried to pull off the most innocent look she could,

"Uhm...Hi daddy?"

_**BWAHAHAHA! Wow, this chapter was soooo much fun to write! I'm so glad I got it done before I left too! **_

_**Well, I doubt I'll be able to get another chapter done before I go, so I hope that this was does it for you! It's pretty long, which I guess is good in that case! LOL**_

_**Next Chapter...well, I'll give you three guesses as to how things are going to go over with Bra and Uub and Trunks...LOL, and the first two don't count! Oh, and Marron's got a problem with the flying lessons..what is it? You'll just have to stay tuned! **_

_**I'll be working on it when I get back next Sunday...so until then, you guys are AWESOME and I love you all to pieces! Please feel free to send in your reviews or comments, peace out and ROCK ROCK ON!**_

_**Romania Black**_


	20. Day Four, Dreams and Explanations

The Taming of the Saiyan

By Romania Black

_**Well, it's been a long week, but I'm back! Sorry for the holdup, but I had a bit of trouble submitting the chapter...fanfiction wouldn't let me...Grrrrr...oh well, LOL I've wrote on this chapter since I returned, and am satisfied with it to say the least! There's some flashbacks in this one, in which the dialogue of the flashbacks are in italics...jus so you know! Again, another long chapter...just for you Tony! LOL, you can read more about that one in my reply to his review!**_

_**School starts next week, so who knows how that'll affect my writing...hopefully not too much, so I should be rolling along with the chapters...if I hit writer's block like I did in this one though, it may take longer to write the chapters, so I apologize for that! So let's get the show on the road, then!**_

_**As usual, Rated T for TEEN, due to brief language, mild violence, alcohol references and consumption, and mild sexual themes...**_

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing of Akira Toriyama...but hey, If he wanted to use my ideas for his stories...uh, GO FOR IT! LOL**_

_**Reviews:**_

**_Sinful Sakura: LOL, I know! Trunks is just an innocent in all this isn't he? LOL, Bra does get a bit of what she deserves in this chapter! LOL, so don't worry! Thanks so much for the review! Enjoy the chapter!_**

**_Witch of Erie Knoll: Thanks! Trunks + Closets do goodness, don't they? LOL, -reads review again- I'm going to have to check out some of your fics, looks like! LOL, thanks so much for the review, glad you liked the chapter and hope you like this one too! _**

**_Tyson: Welcome to the fold, man! THANKS so much for the review! LOL, I'll have to reread that chapter and listen to that song with it now! ha ha ha, that's awesome...thankies about the good job comment, I'm glad your pinning for the next chapter! Hope you find this chapter just as good! _**

**_Kumori Ookami: Wow, thanks! the last chapter was one of mine too! LOL, I don't know...chapter Three and Seven are still awesome to me...but the last one was outrageously fun to write! I hope this latest chapter will be one of your favourites too! LOL, maybe, maybe not, but I hope you like it anyway! _**

**_Tony: Thanks man! So you like the long chapters? that's cool, I'll try to make my chapter's longer then, unless I hear otherwise! It's comments like that that help alot with my writing of this story! I think the prospect of Marron learning to spar is a cool idea too! We'll see how it plays out! Thanks so much for the review, and I hope you like this chapter too!_**

_**You guys ROCK so much! You've made my day with every review and comment you've posted on this story and I am truly Grateful for each and every one of you that's reviewed or left a comment about this story. Don't hesitate to send me a suggestion or leave a review after reading the story...I'm grateful for any and ALL response! You keep me writing! THANKS A MILLION! Peace out, and ROCK ROCK ON!**_

_**Romania Black**_

Chapter Twenty: Day Four, Dreams and Explanations

Bra smiled to try and make her father believe everything was fine, and nothing was going on, but under her false smile, she felt as if her insides were being ripped to shreds. She looked nervously to her brother, who looked surprised nonetheless, but in no mood to help her out. She still could not believe he'd hid in her closet and spied on her doing..._doing things I probably shouldn't have_..._But that's my business, not his!_ She turned her gaze to Uub, who looked as if he was about to die, and from the look on her father's face, that could be true. He turned to look at her for some sort of explanation as to what to do next, but Bra frowned to him, unable to give her boyfriend an answer.

Vegeta smiled wickedly as he stepped away from the doorframe, "So," He grinned maliciously, "Where's that paperwork you said you were going to be doing?" He glanced around the room quickly, looking for paperwork. There was none to be seen. _Surprise, surprise..._He thought to himself.

Bra's face whitened, realizing the lie she'd told him earlier, "Oh, uh, that paperwork? Daddy, I finished that a little while ago," She lied through her teeth, "and, uh, put it up!"

Her father's eyes bore through hers, "And just where did you put it?" He said coldly.

Her skin turned so thin, you could see right through it, "Uh, well, actually, uhm--" She sputtered.

"I already put it in my suitcase," Trunks butted in, stepping in front of Bra. Bra could not believe he'd just saved her like that. She looked up at her brother, who stared back at her with a _You-Owe-Me _stare. _Big Time, _Trunks thought, not sure himself why he'd helped her. It just seemed like the right thing to do, according to him.

Vegeta scowled, obviously not expecting this answer, and definately not welcoming it. "Is that so son?" He glanced at the closet and then back at Trunks. "Why are you in here then?"

It was Trunks turn to turn paler, "Well, I was just coming back to tell Bra that I'd put it up and everything was okay," Trunks hated lying to his father, because he knew his father could sense it.

The Saiyan Prince smirked, "Is that why you were in the closet, son?"

Trunks looked down instinctively to see that a lavender gown was caught on his ankle, leading a stream of clothes behind him trailing from the open closet door. The Demi-Saiyan turned stark white, seeing how awkward this situation looked.

"I pushed him in there," Bra spoke up, her turn to defend her brother.

"You what?" Vegeta said quietly, a hint of disbelief in his voice.

"We got into a little arguement right before you came up here and I pushed him into the closet...it was accidental of course!" She smiled innocently, giving her brother a look that clearly said, _We're-Even-Now. _Trunks nodded his head,

"It's true," He smiled, scratching the back of his head, "Sad to say."

Vegeta looked angry at the prospect that this could be true. Then he glanced around towards Bra's bed, and he saw the tripod table with the half empty wine bottles on it and the two glasses. His face lit up with an evil smirk,

"And I suppose that while you do that paperwork, you have a little wine to go with it?" He nodded his head towards the tripod table.

The trio looked back and saw the wine sitting conveniently in plain sight. Bra and Uub both involuntarily gulped loudly, but Trunks didn't, feeling the heat rising in his face. He had just remembered about Bra's stash in his room.

"Look familiar," Trunks blurted out without thinking. Bra spun around, her face red, to give her brother a sharp look.

Vegeta stared at the bottles for a moment, then his face lit up with understanding, "Those are the bottles that were in your room..."

"You can ask Bra how they got there, too," Trunks said, giving his sister a menacing look.Bra stared at her brother, speechless.

Vegeta's eyebrows raised suspiciously, as he glanced from his son's face to his daughters', sensing the tension between them. He stared sharply at his daughter, "Well, how did they get there, girl?"

Bra knew that it wasn't good when her father was calling her _'girl' _instead of _'daughter' _or _'princess' _or just simply her own name. _'Girl' _was just as disrespectful and hating as _'woman' _was with her mother, and she could sense that this wasn't going to be good.

"I'm not going to lie to you father," Bra started slowly, hoping to soften the blow of her explanation.

"I should damn well hope so!" The Saiyan Prince burst out, angrily, "Get on with it!"

"_Daddy-I-was-hiding-the-wine-in-Trunks'-room_," She said so quickly that it came out in a gush of words that was hardly understandable. She hoped that her father would not have heard it very well.

But unfortunately, Vegeta had heard every word perfectly, the vein on the side of his head popping out angrily. There was a moment's silence and suddenly he spoke up from the silent air, his voice harsh and cold,

"_WHAT DID YOU SAY?" _Vegeta roared. Bra actually shrank back in her spot and seemed instantly weaker, much to Uub's surprise. He had never seen her so vulnerable. Trunks and Bulma on the other hand knew that Bra wasn't _that _strong willed deep down, so this wasn't as much of a shock. Nonetheless, Bulma gave a small sigh as her husband yelled into her daughter's face.

"I was hiding the wine in Trunks' room until I was going to drink it," Bra repeated, her head bowed in shameful embarrassment.

"Is that so?" Vegeta snapped loudly, "Did you know that Trunks had been getting in trouble for his alcoholic consumption recently?" He stood beside his daughter now, and his figure seemed to darkly loom over her. Bra shuddered and nodded her head, unable to say any kind of answer.

Bulma' eyes widened slightly, "Our son has a drinking problem?"

Trunks shook his head violently, "Mom, I don't--"

"Now's not the time, woman," Vegeta gave her a threatening stare. To this, Bulma stopped talking but gave her son a curious look that meant that she was going to find out what was going on about that later. Vegeta gave his son and wife another sharp look and turned back towards his daughter, "So you hid your own stash of liquor in your brother's room, hoping he'd get in trouble for it later on?"

Bra snapped her head up and looked fierce, "I did _NOT _do it to get him in trouble!" She protested.

"Then why didn't you put it in _your _own room," Vegeta glared. When Bra had no answer he let out a cruel laugh, "Because you didn't want to get in trouble either!" He laughed and he looked much more menacing when he did this. Bra felt a small shiver up her spine; as did her brother. Their father laughing in that manner was not a good sign of anything.

"Bra, how could you?" Bulma said from amidst her husband's laughing. She seemed as angry with the two of them as she'd ever been, in Trunks' opinion. _The only other time I've seen her this mad was when me and Goten painted the house black that one time..._Trunks thought reminescently as he stared at his mother's scowl.

"Mom, I didn't think anyone would find it! I would have asked Trunks, but I knew what the answer would be!" She placed her hands on her hips.

Trunks shot his sister a look of disbelief, "Gee, I wonder why I wouldn't have let you?" He said in a highly sarcastic voice.

Bra rolled her eyes at him and stared back at her parents, one who looked huffy and about to chew them out, and the other who'd just stopped laughing his head off and looked on the verge of savagely ripping someone apart. In fact, Vegeta had an expression on his face as if he'd actually enjoy it, too.

To Uub, this was a very scary scene. There he was, no shirt on, standing beside Bra, whose blouse was hanging off her shoulders as if it had been removed and quickly threw back on (which it had been) and he knew at some point one of the two parents would notice the candlelight around them. The fact that they hadn't spotted it yet, bugged him tremendously. He tried to wave his hand over the candle on the tabletop beside him, and put it out, but as he did this, it caused Vegeta to notice him. The Saiyan's eyes bugged out angrily, as if just realizing Uub was even there. A seriously contorted facial expression lit upon Vegeta's face, making him look not only menacing and evil, but also murderous.

"And _you_," He said with a sneer, pointing to Uub, who knew he was screwed, "What about you in all this?"

"What about me?" Uub replied back without even thinking who he was talking to. Trunks slapped a hand to his face in shock, amazed that Uub would have the guts to say anything along those lines. Bra gave her boyfriend a look that was equal to any damsel in distress': a look of rescue.

Vegeta's face contorted in rage and his hand was against Uub's neck in an instant. "_What did you say_?" He said in a low growl.

Uub was about to reply with _What do you think? _But thought better of it. He wasn't feeling that brave, despite the rising temperature of his blood with the Saiyan's hand at his throat. He couldn't believe that he'd worked up this much courage so far, when two seconds ago he'd been scared senseless. _What's wrong with me? _Then he turned and saw out of the corner of his eye, Bra's face, full of worry...for him. _Oh, that's why..._He thought, almost smiling at her worried expression, but realized he'd best not while in the clutches of the Saiyan Prince.

"I asked what you said, boy," Vegeta repeated in a snarl, his hand still gripping his neck. Uub couldn't think of a reply that wouldn't tick Bra's father off. Bra tugged at her father's shirt, working up the courage to walk towards him.

"Dad, leave him out of this--" She started, but one stare from her father cut her off.

"Since you decided to join the conversation," He said with a snap that felt like a whip across her skin, "What were you two doing up here anyway once the _paperwork _was done?" His eyes traveled from her face to Uub's, both unreadable but noticably paler.

"Father, I thought we were already through this," Bra said with a slight sigh, her eyes rolling suggestively. _We're back on that again...great!_

"Well, _YOU THOUGHT WRONG_!" Vegeta roared, causing Bra to step back a step. He suddenly noticed her blouse was buttoned wrong, and her camisole straps were loose. He didn't know why or how he'd noticed it, but he had. Then he noticed the candles burning slowly around him, and his nostrils were filled with the scent from them. His eyes immediately grew wide as thousands of thoughts buzzed through his brain. Out of the corner of his eye, he also saw that Uub didn't have a shirt on either. Suddenly his son's words rang in his head, _You didn't even have a condem... _"Bra...no..." His voice was actually a whisper, more to himself, then he turned with rage to Uub, who flinched in shock, "WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY DAUGHTER?" He bellowed.

Uub had been afraid of this since the moment the Saiyan prince had stepped into the room, "Sir," He figured for his sake he needed to be respectful, "I had no intention of doing anything--" Trunks snorted very loudly in disagreement, but Vegeta was ignoring Trunks for the moment, "--to Bra that was uncalled for." His answer did not seem to satisfy the Saiyan though.

Bulma's eyes widened as realization of her husband's words hit her too, "Were you two about to...?" She couldn't finish, but looked from her husband to her daughter and Uub. Vegeta looked on the verge of either ripping Uub's legs off or slapping Bra upside the face. Trunks felt very awkward all of a sudden, as if he was watching this entire ordeal take place on his television set, and he wasn't even in the facinity of them all.

That quickly changed when his father turned his gaze towards Trunks, "Son, you were here... _obviously_," The Saiyan's gaze lingered on Bra's closet and the clothes around Trunks' ankles for a moment, "What happened? Tell me now!"

"Yes, son, tell us," Bulma demanded, her arms crossed, and a curious look playing on her face.

Trunks gulped a little louder than he should have, _Why do I ALWAYS get stuck in the middle of all this?_

"We're waiting, son," Vegeta said coldly.

Bra had the most pleading look she'd ever seen on her face, as she looked to her brother, praying he wouldn't say anything about their moment together they'd just shared, whatever kind of moment it had been anyway. Uub had a stare on his face that was quite unreadable, but Trunks could detect a faint paleness that had rose to his face. As brave as he seemed at the moment, Uub was really terrified out of his mind at the thought of the Demi-Saiyan spilling the beans on their little afternoon affair. Bulma seemed beside herself with curiousity, wheras Vegeta had a murderous stare that simply stated that if he didn't get some answers shortly, there was going to be trouble. Lots of it, too.

Trunks ran a hand through his violet hair, and sighed deeply. He would have given almost anything to be somewhere else at that second...

The Island where Roshi's house stood was unusually quiet, the sun setting slowly into the horizon. The two figures, Goten and Marron were laying on the beach still, Marron resting against Goten's chest, fast asleep. Goten was asleep as well, soft snoring coming from his mouth. Deep in the back of the Demi-Saiyans mind, he could remember flying as a child with his brother, Gohan. The dream was almost so real, he could feel the breeze through his hair and hear his brother's words clearly as if he was sitting beside him now, talking to him.

_"Come on, Gohan!" The small Demi-Saiyan cried out joyfully, flying alongside his older brother, who was smiling at him, "Let's go higher!"_

_Gohan gave him a warm but slightly stern smile, "Goten, we've talked about this...we're not going any higher today."_

_"Pleeeeeeeeaaaaaase?" Little Goten begged, tugging at his sibling's shirt as the two soared in the sky. They weren't that high up, only skimming the tops of the trees around them. "Just a little bit?"_

_"Nah, Goten, we agreed on this," Gohan sounded a bit like Chi Chi as he said this, "No going any higher. You've only been flying a few days..."_

_"Videl gets to go higher!" Goten protested, his child-like face forming a scowl, "And SHE'S only been flying a few days too!"_

_"Yes, that's true, but...," The older Demi-Saiyan shook his head, blushing slightly, "She doesn't really listen that well to me...plus," He said grabbing ahold of Goten's waist and pulling him towards him in a loving manner, "She's not my sibling, and I'm not in charge of keeping her safe like I am with you!" He gave his brother a short hug and let Goten sit on his back. The small Demi-Saiyan grasped ahold of the back of Gohan's shirt._

_Suddenly Gohan started to fly a little higher. The seven-year-old Demi-Saiyan yelled out in happiness and surprise as he rode on his brother's back up higher into the sky. Gohan smiled at his little brother's enthusiasm. "There, see, is that high enough?" He asked Goten, who nodded vigorously in reply._

_"Yep!" He said cheerfully as the two flew off further. After a moment of silence, Goten looked down at his older brother. "Gohan?"_

_"Yes, Goten?" His brother replied, not looking directly at him._

_"Is dad up here?" _

_Goten's words cut into Gohan like the sharpest knife. He nearly stopped flying, but ended up slowly down a lot instead. He looked up at his brother in surprise, _

_"What do you mean, Goten?"_

_"I read about these angels in a book at home," Goten answered, his face curious, "And the book said that they flew around the air in Heaven. You told me dad was an angel, so is he up here?" He gave Gohan the most innocent look he thought he'd ever seen, and Gohan felt his voice stick in his throat._

_After a moment, Gohan decided he had the strength to answer his brother's question, "Well, he's not in the sky with us at the moment, Goten, because this isn't Heaven."_

_"Ohhh," Goten said, nodding in understanding, "But he'd be here if it were?" He asked._

_Gohan nodded, almost unable to speak, "Yeah, Goten, sure he would," He found his voice was cracking slightly._

_Goten smiled, and looked up into the sky. "Think he can hear us now?" _

_"I'm sure he can," The older Demi-Saiyan replied, smiling warmly at his younger brother's innocence._

_Goten puffed out his chest as he drew in a huge breath, then with all his might yelled at the top of his lungs,_

_**"HI DAD!"**_

_Gohan toppled over in midair, but Goten flew alongside him rather than fall. When Gohan had steadied himself, he gave his brother a sharp but curious stare. Goten chuckled,_

_"Do you think daddy heard that?" He asked with the most innocent and cute face that Gohan thought he'd ever seen._

_Gohan smiled and had to laugh, feeling a small tear run down his face, "Yeah, Goten, I think he heard you loud and clear."_

_The small Demi-Saiyan smiled, satisfied and pleased with himself; overjoyed his father had heard him. He suddenly realized how high up he was flying. "Oh, we need to go down, don't we, Gohan?" He asked his brother._

_Gohan shook his head, watching his brother's grin grow wider, "I think today, we can stay up this high. What do you think?"_

_"YAY!" Goten squealed as the two flew off into the distance, Gohan smiled fondly as his brother flew off ahead of him, grinning from ear to ear._

Goten felt his eyes open slightly. The wind whipped harder through his hair and he realized it was starting to grow dark outside. _Wow, I was asleep for a while! _Then he noticed Marron still asleep soundly against his chest. Smiling at her and softly patting her golden hair, he gently cradled her in his arms and leaned back with her against one of the palm trees. _Oh well...I guess I could sit here a little longer..._and before he knew it, he was falling back to sleep again.

"Alright boy," Vegeta looked about to explode, "Explain one more time what happened when you came in," It was obvious Vegeta was only saying this because his wife Bulma had suggested it. If the Saiyan Prince was able to have his way, the dark warrior Uub's legs would have already been broken.

Trunks sighed, something he'd done a lot tonight, and gave his father a fleeting look,

"Are you serious? I've already told the story twice--"

"Just say it again for me, okay, Trunks?" It was Bulma's voice that interrupted her son. Vegeta nudged his head towards his wife to signal that the idea had been hers from the start.

The Demi-Saiyan exhaled loudly and tucked a lock of his almost-violet hair, which he was sure two more washes would bring it back to normal, behind his ear. He shot Bra and Uub a dirty look and then looked towards his parents,

"Like I said before, I walked into the room after the paperwork was done and saw Uub kiss Bra," His eyes involuntarily darted towards the couple, who had grown slightly paler after he'd said that, "and then Bra got mad I'd walked in on them kissing and pushed me into the closet," He motioned towards all the gowns and shirts at his ankles, "Then you two walked in right when I was getting out. That's it."

It was a pretty decent lie in Trunks' opinion. After telling it twice, he thought he had it down well. Vegeta looked mildly convinced, but Bulma on the other hand, did not. Surprisingly to the Demi-Saiyan, she looked even less convinced than before he'd told the story. But she didn't object to his story once at all as Vegeta started speaking again, his eyes narrowed upon his daughter and her would-be lover.

"Bra," He said slowly, as his daughter stepped before him, "You are to wait in your brother's room until I come and get you, understood?"

Her eyes flashed with fire, "But daddy, Trunks just told you that all we did was--"

"_YOU WILL GO TO YOUR BROTHER'S ROOM! IS THAT CLEAR OR DO I HAVE TO REPEAT MYSELF?" _Vegeta roared, causing Bra to wince back from him. She shook her head,

"No daddy," She said in almost a whimper, the fire dead from her eyes, "I'll wait there for you, sir." She acknowledged him as she quickly left the room. Trunks was sure she'd had a tear in her eye, but he couldn't be certain.

Vegeta and Bulma watched her leave the room. "Damn right," Vegeta murmured to himself, but it was obvious his wife had heard him, because she shot him a angered look, to which he ignored and turned towards Trunks. "As for you, son--"

"He'll come with me," Bulma said over her husband's voice, her eyes directly on the face of her son.

"What did you say?" The Saiyan could not believe his own wife had interrupted him. _That woman! Who does she think she is?_

"You heard me," Bulma said what Uub had wished he could have said, "Is your hearing that bad?" She placed her hands on her hips, "I will handle my son, is _THAT _clear?"

Uub was sure Bulma had crossed the line, and that Vegeta was going to do or say something to counter her claim, but to his surprise the Saiyan grunted loudly and waved her away.

"Fine, do whatever," He said in a dull growl, motioning Trunks to follow his mother out the door. Trunks wasn't sure if this had been a good thing or not at the moment. But he followed his mother out the door and left Vegeta with Uub, who looked positively livid as the Demi-Saiyan left the room. _Poor guy...I feel sorry for him, alone with dad..._

"Trunks," Bulma closed the door behind them, now with him alone in the hallway, "I don't how you convinced your father you were telling the truth, but I want you to know that it won't work on me."

The Demi-Saiyan's eyes grew wide in confusion, "Wha--?"

"Don't play dumb with me, son," Bulma's face grew angry, "I wasn't born yesterday, you know! I could see right through that lie you told back there," She pointed to Bra's room. "Now tell me the truth! What happened in there?"

Trunks could not figure out how she's saw through him like that. Vegeta had believed him, why hadn't she? He swallowed nervously,

"I already told you--"

Bulma hand came flying across her son's face, leaving a distinct red mark. Trunks rubbed his cheek in awe, but Bulma was giving her son a deadly look, "No more lies son, I want answers!"

Trunks sighed, amazed his mother could hit that hard, "Fine. Bra and Uub were having a romantic--uhm---moment," He couldn't find the right words to describe the event. _I'm definately sure 'snogging' won't work! _He thought anxiously.

Bulma sighed and raised a hand to her forehead, "I was afraid of this," She whispered, then she looked up at her son, "Wait, a romantic _what_?"

"Moment," Trunks repeated, "They didn't do what you're thinking they did, trust me," He explained, his hand running through his hair.

The woman's eyes widened for a moment, then her expression softened, revealing her first true smile of the night. A wave of relief swept through her, as she realized that her daughter and Uub hadn't done anything like what she'd been thinking.

"Thank heavens," She said softly, then her gaze hardened on her son, "And what's this about you drinking all the time?" She yelled, her hands back on her hips, which Trunks had determined was a dangerous sign in a woman that a vicious scolding was about to take place.

_I just can't catch a break, can I? _"Dad's just finding excuses to beat the crap out of me--"

"I don't think so," Bulma replied in an instant, "I've noticed too that you've been wandering around more in the house drinking."

"I'm almost thirty mom," Trunks replied, giving his mother a stern look, "I think I'm responsible enough and old enough to drink whenever I please."

"Not in this house you're not!" His mother shot back, a twisted smile on her face, "If you want to drink '_whenever you please' _you can move somewhere else and do that, but not here!"

Trunks rolled his eyes, "This is ridiculous--"

"No it's not!" Her voice cracked and Trunks noticed she was crying, "You're my son and I care about you!"

The next thing the Demi-Saiyan knew, his mother had her arms wrapped around him, crying onto his shoulder. This reminded Trunks an awful lot of Chi Chi's reaction to virtually everything. He didn't really know what to do, so he patted his mother on the back, trying to calm her down. It didn't seem to help too much.

"It's okay, mom, geez," Trunks felt his face growing redder, "This is embarrassing...," He was certainly glad no one was here to watch this.

"I...I just don't want my son growing up to be a single, alcoholic drunk wandering the streets ALL ALONE!" She bawled, shaking in her son's embrace. Trunks was sure that if she didn't stop all this nonsensicle crud, he was going to hurl.

_This had GOT to be the most awkward moment ever...in the history of my life, _Trunks thought, deeply grateful Goten wasn't here to see this. _If Goten was here, he'd sure get a kick out of this scene, _The Demi-Saiyan thought, wondering what his best friend was doing at that moment.

Marron was sure this was a dream, it had to be. She was tiny, no more than four, her little blond pigtails flapping in the morning wind, and her small round toes dipped into the cool salty sea. Little Marron splashed repeatedly in the ocean, giggling nonstop as she did, her parents on the beach watching her with smiles on their faces.

_"Mommy! Daddy! Lookie at me! I'm in the water!" Little Marron giggled and waded through the crystal water. _

_18 and Krillin smiled from the shoreline, "We can see you, dear," 18's voice rang out._

_Krilling turned happily towards his wife, "I'm going down there to play with her," He announced, laying down his magazine and running towards Marron on the beach. 18 sighed and shook her head, knowing nothing she's say would stop him._

_"DADDY! Come Play with me!" Marron shouted happily, as Krillin scooped her up into his arms. She was already over half his size. Little Marron giggled, "The water tickles!"_

_"Does it now?" The diminuitive earthling smiled, dipping his feet in the water, which came up to the bottom of his red swim trunks, "So it does! Ha ha!" Krillin laughed and tossed Marron up into the air and caught her back in his arms._

_Marron laughed and looked over towards 18, "Mommy, come over here! It's fun!" _

_The Android smiled, but barely took her gaze of the magazine in her hands, "No thanks, sweetie, mommy's fine here." She turned back to her magazine. Marron frowned and looked at her father,_

_"How comes mommy doesn't want to play with us?" She asked sadly._

_Krillin blushed nervously, hardly resisting to stare at his daughters cute pout, "Uhm...er...Mom just doesn't like the water, sweetie,"_

_"Ish she scared of it?" Tiny Marron asked, wrapping her small fingers around her fathers'._

_"Yeah!" Krillin realized this was a good excuse as any, "Mommy's scared of the water."_

_"But the water's not scary, daddy!" Marron explained as best as any toddler could, "It's nice water!"_

_"Let's leave mommy to herself and build a sand castle instead, okay?" He walked Marron up to the shoreline where the water barely hit their feet and started to gather up some sand into a pile. Marron squealed with delight and agreement with her father and joined him as he built the sand castle. _

_"This is funner than the water, daddy!" Marron smiled. Krillin couldn't resist looking at his daughter's grin, which made her seem even more angelic than she already did. He chuckled as he patted the sand, trying to form a mound out of it, _

_"This is definately fun, Marron."_

_It was not long before a small sand castle lay at their feet. Krillin wiped the sweat from his eyes with satisfaction. Marron looked happy beyond words as she placed a seashell on top of the mound they'd made to complete it. 18 stared at the two and shook her head, unable to figure out how something so small and irrelevant could amuse the two so much. She sighed and continued reading her magazine, thinking she'd never understand those two fully. _

_"Yay, we made it, daddy!" The little girl exclaimed, her blonde pigtails bouncing as she jumped to her feet. "What are we going to do now?"_

_"We sure did," Krillin smiled as he rose to his feet. "What do you want to do next, Marron?" He asked wrapping her in his arms and holding her close. Little Marron thought for a moment, then her eyes grew wide as she saw a pair of seagulls fly overhead._

_"Can we fly up there with the birdies?" Marron asked, pointing at the seagulls._

_A wave of nervousness and concern swept across Krillin's body. He had never taken his daughter up into the air, it was a thought that worried him constantly. He gave his daughter an anxious glance,_

_"Err, why do you want to fly up there?" He said it as if to make flying seem boring, "We could build another sand castle--"_

_"Please, daddy?" Marron pleaded, her face starting to form an innocent pout, "Can we please fly with the birdies?"_

_Drat, Krillin thought, staring at his daughter's face. I can't resist that cute little--_

_"Fine," Krillin decided, sweeping Marron onto his shoulders, "Let's fly with those seagulls!"_

_Marron's father ascended into the sky, little Marron tightly secured on his shoulders. 18 looked up and saw them rise into the air. Her eyes grew wide in mild concern, but then she sighed, amazed that her husband had actally taken off into the air with Marron. He confused her so much at times it was surreal, but she decided to let this play out. She figured that there was no reason for too much worry; afterall, Krillin would never let Marron get hurt. Not one chance in a million, would he. 18 smiled grimly, and stared at her daughter and husband growing smaller as they rose into the air._

_"WEEEEEEE!" Marron shouted with glee as her father carried her high into the air on his shoulders. Krillin grinned and looked at his daughter, chuckling as he did. "Look daddy!" Little Marron pointed at the seagulls beside them in the air, "We're flying with the seagulls!"_

_"Yeah, we are, sweetheart, heh heh," Krillin chuckled at her cuteness. _

_Just then a Capsule Corp. fly car zoomed past the two, just a few feet from them. Krillin was so surprised, he jumped out of the way, an angry look emerging on his face. He couldn't believe how close that car had gotten from them!_

_"GEEZ! WATCH IT, JERK!" Krillin yelled after him. "There are people flying up here too!" He frowned and growled. "People are so stupid sometimes..."_

_"KRILLIN!" The short-statured warrior looked down to hear his wife's scream. She was pointing up at him, her face white in horror. Krillin suddenly realized why. Marron had fell off his shoulders and was soaring towards the ocean, wailing a high pitched scream that was deafening almost._

_The diminuitive earthling flew at super speed towards the water and quickly scooped the terrified child into his arms and flew towards the beach, where 18 was rushing towards him, her eyes wide in fear. He'd never seen his wife or child so afraid. Marron was bawling into his chest, her screeches so loud and horrible that 18 winced as she got closer to them._

_"Shhh, shhh, it's alright, baby," Krillin tried to calm his daughter down. "I'm so sorry, sweetie, it's alright now...," 18 reached him, and her husband gave her a horrified look. "I didn't--that plane came out of nowhere--I--I didn't see it in time--"_

_"As long as you two are safe, it's okay," The Android said, her face looking relieved that they were okay. She gently patted her daughter's back, as Marron cried into her father's chest._

_"WAAHHHH!" Marron wailed. Krillin tried to comfort her, but to no avail. She continued to cry and amidst her bawling, the two parents could be faintly heard as they spoke. _

_"She should have never gone into the air with me," Krillin said with a hint of despair._

_18 shook her head, "You could not have expected what happened to have conspired," The Android assured him._

_Krillin didn't say anything at first, but his head hung low, his brow furrowed in frustration at himself as Marron continued crying. When he finally spoke, his voice was low and sad, "If she had only known how to fly herself..."_

_"Forget about that," 18 said at once, "She's not strong enough. Besides, she'll most likely be afraid of heights after this and her energy isn't high enough to learn anyway." She huffed, but Krillin looked hopeful._

_"Oh, you don't know that, honey! She may learn," He suddenly held her away from him, and Marron's tears dried a little. "She just needs the proper teacher!"_

_"Don't ask me to," 18 said at once, "I'd like to raise a 'normal' child, thank you."_

_"Normal? Marron's normal!" Krillin exclaimed, as little Marron's eyes started to water with tears again._

_"Normal people don't fly," 18 replied, her eyes narrowing. Krillin realized this was actually quite true. He held Marron against him and realized that for her to be considered 'normal' she'd have to not be trained...taught to fly...anything he'd learned...Krillin was starting to hate the very idea of it all._

_"Not to mention that if she ever wants a chance at marrying some day, she'd better be normal!" The Android said firmly, as the two started up the beach, the crying child still in her husband's arms._

_"That's not true," Krillin said at once. "Maybe she'll marry someone we know, like Trunks or Goten," Suddenly his face lit up, "That'd be cool!"_

_"I don't even want to think about it," 18 said as she kissed her daughter's forehead. "She still has her whole life to grow up and meet the one for her." But it was obvious that the Android wanted the conversation about her child's marriage to end there, but she could tell on her husband's face that the thought of being related to either Trunks and Goten sounded promising. _

_The two carried their child back inward, as the sobbing Marron stared back at the ocean waves, her mind filled with the terrifying images of her falling and nearly crashing into the black crushing oblivion of the ocean below her to her death..._

Marron woke with a start, her head thrusting itself from Goten's chest. She felt a drop of salty water run into her mouth, and realized she was sweating. She shook her head and sighed, _That was one weird dream..._She suddenly realized it was night out. She turned and saw that Goten was sleeping still. Gently shaking his shoulders, she whispered into his ear,

"Goten, wake up," She said softly. Goten slowly opened his eyes and gave her a warm smile.

"Hey there, finally woke up, huh?" He smiled. Marron gave him a curious look.

"I was about to say the same about you!" She gave him a playful push. Goten stood up and helped Marron to her feet. The two stumbled slightly in the darkness, and Goten seemed to realize it was dark out too.

"Wow, how long did we sleep?" The Demi-Saiyan asked with a chuckle. Marron shook her head,

"I don't know," She replied. "Obviously a pretty long time," She nudged his shoulders and yawned, "Want to go inside and sleep some more?"

Goten smiled with a slightly cunning fashion, "Not unless you want to..." He gave her a playful push back.

Marron's view was thrown towards the ocean, and she suddenly felt her insides twist in knots as the images from her dream reentered her mind. "Well I do," Marron replied quickly, suddenly not in the mood to joke around. She just felt...tired, to be truthful. "I'm so tired, Goten...sorry..."

The Demi-Saiyan's face fell a little, but he smiled warmly as the two headed towards the house. "That's alright, Marron," He said, bending the truth a little, "I'm tired too," This was partially true. He wasn't that tired, but he supposed for her, he could sleep some more.

Goten walked through the door to the Roshi house and disappeard inside. Marron hesitated for a moment and looked back out into the ocean, her eyes suddenly full of worry. Her mother's words rang through her head,

_She's not strong enough...her energy isn't high enough to learn anyway..._

Marron suddenly felt a new feeling grip her gut as she stared into the ocean. Fear. Shaking off the horrible nausious feeling in her stomach, she retreated into the Roshi house, hoping that a bit more sleep would calm her flying nerves. She hoped and prayed it would, but in the back of her mind, she knew it wouldn't.

_Well, Uub, you've sure gotten yourself into a pickle this time..._

Uub had thought of all the horrible and terrifying situations that he never wanted to end up in. This hadn't been the one to top his list until now. Here he was, sitting on Bra's bed, arms crossed in anxiousness, as the almighty Saiyan Prince stood beside him with a look that could have killed a lesser person. Uub couldn't believe he was in this situation...nor could he believe he was ALONE with Vegeta...in _Bra's _room...

For a long time, there was silence, no speaking from either of them. Uub stared up at Vegeta. He could tell the Saiyan was ticked off, but also was thinking about what he was going to say. Uub had never seen the Saiyan so pensive.

Vegeta was analyzing the situation in his mind, deciding what to say to the boy. He could tell the boy was strong, _very _strong. Perhaps stronger than his own son, which was a scary thought indeed. He gazed over the boys muscles and felt a strong feeling of...jealousy? _Was he, the Prince of Saiyans, strongest on this puny planet, JEALOUS of this strange looking cretin? _

"Put that shirt on," The Saiyan said out of the silence. Uub obeyed at once, deciding now was not the time to be testy. Vegeta scowled, in shock that he'd even think of being jealous of such a weakling. The boy may have been strong, but it was obvious he didn't realize _how _strong he was. Uub looked very fearful, which Vegeta knew was a sign of weakness.

Uub knew this would be a bad idea, but he had to break the silence; _it was driving him mad! _"Sir, I--"

"Shut your mouth," Vegeta snapped, causing Uub to wince. "You have no right to speak while you're in my presence," Vegeta locked the door in a swift, agile movement, causing Uub to grow _VERY _concerned. He suddenly felt sweat forming on his forehead.

"Sir, I did not mean any harm to your daughter and would never--"

"Did you not hear me?" Vegeta snapped even harder, and Uub felt the words sting his flesh. "I said you are not to talk!" Then he paused and smirked, "Or at least until I say so. Is that clear?" He eyed Uub evilly. The dark skinned warrior nodded vigorously. "Good," Vegeta said with an even broader smirk. He liked this position of power he held with the boy. It was satisfying to him to say the least.

So Uub sat on the bed in silence as Vegeta slowly paced about the room, plotting his next move. He could break the boys legs, that was for sure. The boy was clearly terrified of him. However, he knew that if he hurt the boy that bad, Bulma would be on his case nagging as she usually did when he did something she didn't approve of.

_If we were back on Vegeta-Sei and the boy had been caught with the Princess of Saiyans, his legs being broken would have only been the first thing to have happened to him..._The Saiyan Prince smiled as he thought of all the things that would've happened to the boy had they been on his home world, and an evil grin broke out on his face.

Uub, who couldn't read minds, did not like this evil smile of Vegeta's. Not one bit.

"So, boy," Vegeta finally said with an evil grin, ending the silence around them, "You think you're good enough for my daughter, do you?"

The young warrior realized he'd have to answer the question, "Actually, I think it's more along the lines of Bra think's _I'm _good enough for _her_."

Vegeta glared at the boy, not ready for that sort of answer. It had amazingly startled him by how calm the boy seemed when he spoke; not scared or nervous at all. _So...this one's got a thing for verborsity, does he? Well, we'll see about that..._

"Is that so?" Vegeta snorted, trying to look as if the boy's words hadn't affected him. "And why does she think you're good enough for her?"

"I don't know," Uub replied, shrugging slightly, "She just does, I suppose." He really didn't know why Bra liked him, but she did, and that was all that mattered to him, because he was starting to feel that he loved her as well.

In the moment of silence that followed, Vegeta contimplated the young man's words. _So Bra actually has feelings for this creature..._The Saiyan thought, his eyes scanning over the dark young warrior. The boy looked as if he'd trained hard, his muscles were well developed, his chin strong. Save for that ungodly mohawk of black hair on his head, the boy looked halfway intimidating in Vegeta's eyes. Nonetheless he looked strong and powerful, and in the deepest pools of Uub's eyes, Vegeta saw a power hidden there that almost scared him. If he unleashed that power, the Saiyan Prince knew the boy would be a force to reckon with.

Vegeta scowled; _No matter how strong the boy may be...He was still caught with my daughter alone...against my wishes...and I will NOT stand for such childish toying...It's unheard of!_

"So you think my daughter has feelings for you?" The Saiyan replied, his eyes narrowed.

Uub gave him a blank look, "She's admitted it, yes."

Vegeta did not expect this answer either. _She's told him she likes him? What is this? Has she grown soft on me? _

"And you're sure she wasn't just toying with you?" The Saiyan Prince asked him, a small stern look cast over his face.

"She's toyed with me before," Uub answered cautiously, "I know the difference by now. She wasn't toying when she said it to me."

The two sat in silence for another moment. Uub didn't mind the quiet, it sure beat having his legs ripped apart, which he had been sure was what was going to happen to him in the first place. Vegeta pondered some more on this. He wasn't sure what to do. He certainly wasn't fond of Uub, but deep down he didn't loathe the boy either. The Saiyan Prince couldn't place his feelings on the matter, which was frankly a first in his rulebook. Usually he had a committed sense of purpose and belief on a situation and stuck to it. This time, however, he didn't know what to think. And it frustrated him to no end.

_Perhaps, _Vegeta thought to himself, _I should split them up for the moment and figure out what to do next...let things play out..._He didn't like the softness of this idea, but he also figured that this would keep Bulma off his back too. _Yes...this plan would most definately satisfy that woman..._He hated how everything he did anymore centered around that horrid wife of his...but somehow, someway, it did...and he couldn't do anything about it.

"Boy...whatever your name is," Vegeta started.

"Uub, sir," The youth replied, but shut up quickly, when he saw Vegeta's stare.

"Fine, Uub, whatever," The Saiyan continued, "You are to stay away from my daughter from here on end, do you understand me?"

Uub was surprised by this. Partially, because he had no intention of doing that, and also he'd expected to be lying halfway dead on the ground at this moment, and not getting let off this easily. "I--I understand," Uub stammered, "But why?"

"WHY?" Vegeta's eyes grew wide, his face contorted in mild anger, "Because Bra is my daughter and her to have nothing to do with you at the moment! Is THAT clear?" He shot Uub a threatening look.

Uub grimaced, but nodded his head slowly, "Yes, sir." _We'll see about that...Bra will never let you keep me away from her...just you wait..._

"Very well," Vegeta unlocked the door and opened it, "Now get out of my house, cretin." He pointed out the door.

Uub wasted no time getting up to leave, but before he'd cleared the door the Saiyan Prince grabbed ahold of his shirt and pulled him close to him, so Uub could hear every word the Saiyan said,

"Listen to me close, boy," Vegeta hissed low, "Were it up to me, I'd have already beaten you to an inch of your life and left you lying here on the floor to die...but," He sighed angrily, "I couldn't do that this time. If I find you with my daughter against my wishes again, however," And a truly evil, menacing smile lit up on the Saiyan's face, "I will hold nothing back until I'm certain you will rue the day you enraged me...and I will make CERTAIN you will not be reproducing anytime in the future. Is that understood?"

Uub felt his heart fall to the bottom of his stomach, his face paling. He could only nod to this.

Vegeta let go off his shirt, "Now get out of my damn house, boy!" He yelled.

Wasting no time or even looking back, the young fighter scrambled out the door, slamming it shut behind him. He had ran past Bulma and Trunks, never noticing them, but the two who were still embracing had noticed him. Trunks gave a mildly surprised look as Uub ran down the stairs and out the door. He was amazed that the warrior still had all his limbs. Bulma gave Uub a teary eyed look as she saw him run past, letting go of her son.

"Was--was that Uub?" She asked with a small sob.

"Yeah," Trunks answered, relieved his mother had let go of him. "He didn't look hurt though...that's odd," He turned towards the doorway to see Vegeta standing there, looking disappointed to say the least. It was obvious that he'd let Uub off extremely easy.

Trunks didn't dare smirk, but he gave his father a half-way smile, "So I take it he's not staying for dinner?"

Vegeta snapped his gaze towards his son, "NO, he's not," The Saiyan barked, then turned to his wife, "Woman, go and fix supper and quit crying to pity's sake!" He yelled; Bulma started to dry her tears.

"What about Bra?" His wife replied with a slight choke lingering in her voice.

Vegeta suddenly remembered she was still in Trunks' room. He frowned, "Don't you worry about that. Go and get supper ready, woman! I'm starving and not in the patient mood as it is!"

Bulma sighed and Trunks could detect the small smile forming on her face. Whether she liked it or not, Trunks figured his mother was happy her husband was back to normal and hadn't killed or mutilated someone to get there. He watched Bulma walk towards the kitchen seeming a little better, her tears drying on her face. Trunks looked back to his father, whom was staring at him as if he already knew what he wanted his son to do.

"Should I go help--?" Trunks pointed to the kitchen.

"You," Vegeta pointed to Trunks' room, "Are to go and tell Bra that dinner is getting ready and that she is not to talk to that pathetic Uub boy ever again." He crossed his arms as his son gave him a look of disbelief.

Trunks knew there was no way Bra was going to like this news. At all. He gave his dad a stern look of hesitation,

"Dad, Bra's not going to want to hear that news from me--"

"Did I ask you for your opinion? _DID I?" _Vegeta waited for a moment for his son's reaction. All he got was a stare that had a hint of fear in it. "That's what I thought. Now go and tell her," He pointed towards Trunks' room again. He hardly had any patience left for this defiance.

"Why do I always get stuck in the middle of all this--"

"**_DO IT NOW!_**" Vegeta roared, as Trunks scuttled off to Bra's room faster than he knew his feet could carry him.

_**So how was it? This chapter took a little longer to write than the last one, because there were several moments where I got cases of writer's block! Argh! LOL But I do hope you enjoyed it! It's so good to be back writing! **_

_**Well, next chapter Pan feels bad about blabbing her and Trunks' secret to Bulma, so she goes to apologize, but her trip to the Briefs house isn't what she expected...plus, Marron faces an obstacle that could put a damper on her plans of flight!**_

_**So that's all for now, I guess! Now that I'm back, I'll try and get going on the next chapter as soon as I can! Ack! College startes Monday though...YUCK! heh heh, anywhoo, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and please don't hesitate to send me a comment or suggestion you have about the story! They help so much! **_

_**You guys are awesome and I'm sooooooo appreciative of each and every one of you! Thanks again for the reviews! Peace out and rock ROCK ON!**_

_**Romania Black**_


	21. Day Five, Obstacles

The Taming of the Saiyan

By Romania Black

_**Ah, another chapter! Hooray! School started for me today...it was alright...a little what I expected of college, and a little not! LOL! **_

_**Anyway, this is another long chapter! How are you liking the long chapters? If you want them shorter, tell me and I'll shorten em! It's your guy's suggestions that inspire me the most! Seriously! Well, I guess I'll let you all get on with the story then!**_

_**Reviews:**_

**_Witch of Erie Knoll: Ha ha ha...I always love funny reviews, and this is no exception! It's good to know that I'm not the only one that gets writer's block! I DO blame the end of summer for that one! LOL, thanks! Wow, I've never painted a wall an awkward color like that before...but it sounded like something those two would do! Ha ha ha, Vegeta is awesome to write about, and his attitude is so easy for me to nail! I love it! LOL, I gotta read some of your fics, it sounds like! Thanks for the review, and hope this chapter is great too!_**

**_Sinful Sakura: Vegeta cute when he screams? LOL, better not tell him that! 00 Bra did get what she had coming to her, and she gets some more of it in this chapter too! We'll see more about Marron in this chapter as well, and those dreams would creep me out too! Thanks so much for the review! Enjoy the chapter! _**

**_Kumori Ookami: Yay! I'm glad everyone's loving how Vegeta was in the last Chapter! Yayness! Of course Bulma is the only one who can control him! LOL, how ironic is that? I'm so happy last chapter was one of your favorites! That's awesome! I hope you like this one just as much if not more! Thanks SO much for the review too! I'll try and update as soon as I can!_**

_**I love you guys so much! I look forward to every review and comment each time I submit a chapter (don't we all?) I'm eternally grateful for all the support you guys have given me and I hope you've been enjoying the story thus far! Thanks A MILLION you guys! YOU ROCK! ALL OF YOU!**_

_**Enjoy the Story!**_

_**Romania Black**_

Chapter Twenty-One: Day Five, Obstacles

_Why do I feel guilty about this? It's not like I did anything bad...she was going to find out anyway...What am I saying? I blabbed our secret and that's all there is to it! Geez...I'm so STUPID..._

Pan paced back and forth in her room, her hand on her forehead, looking half nauseous, half enraged. She hadn't been able to fall asleep yet, and it was already one O' Clock in the morning. She couldn't do it. The guilt of telling her and Trunks' secret to his mother made her feel so much guilt, she couldn't get it off her. She ran a clammy hand through her dark raven hair, _I'm so stupid...what a childish--_

"Panny?" The voice from the doorway scared the young Demi-Saiyan half to death. It was Videl. "What on earth are you doing up still?"

The young girl felt suddenly embarassed, "Uh, can't sleep."

Videl yawned, tugging at her light blue nightgown, "Why not?"

Pan felt her cheeks burning, "I...I don't know," She lied. Videl cocked her head to the side, obviously knowing she was lying.

"Well," Videl paused, yawning again, "Try to sleep will you? I can hear you pacing down the hall..." Her voice trailed off.

"Okay, mom," Pan finally nodded, seeing the tired look in her mother's eyes, "I'll try to go to sleep." _For you and dad's sake anyway..._

Her mother nodded, starting down the hall, half asleep already, "Thanks, hun. I appreciate--" Her voice disappeared as the door to their room shut.

Pan finally willed herself to climb into her bed. Pulling the lavender covers up to her shoulders, she draped her arms over the tops of them and promised to herself that she'd apologize to Trunks in the morning. She only hoped he'd forgive her for telling his secret.

Trunks opened his eyes and immediately felt the pounding of his head smash a wave of pain across him. He hated waking up with a headache; it was almost more torturous than his father beating him to a pulp in the training chamber, which at this moment he would have preferred greatly.

Stumbling out of bed, one hand on the banister of the bed, the other on his throbbing temples, he slowly crept to the kitchen.

As he walked into the kitchen, squinting in the sharp harsh lighting of the room, he noticed his mother scooping eggs onto three plates; the fourth was empty. Trunks figured that Bra was hiding in her room and refusing to eat. Not that he could blame her; he'd had to tell her last night she couldn't talk to Uub anymore. She had practically crumpled to the ground, he'd never seen her so weak before. He was going to ask his mother if Bra was going to eat with them, but thought better of it. If he said something, she'd probably send him to go get her, and he was sure if she saw him again within the next few days, she'd most likely try and kill him.

After placing a slice of toast on the plates she set them on the table. Vegeta was already at the table, looking impatient and in no mood for talking. Trunks, already in pain and in no way wanting to tick off his father, sat beside the Saiyan and picked up the morning paper, hoping to take his mind off the current pain it was in.

Vegeta didn't say anything to his son, merely glanced at him, but his mother saw him and spoke up.

"Morning," She said almost vaguely. She sat on the other side of Vegeta, staring blankly at her plate. Trunks had never seen his mother like this.

"Uh...good morning," Trunks replied, in slight shock of his mother's unexpressive attitude. _What's up with her?_

Vegeta looked down at his plate and a unsatisfied look cast over his face, "Is this it?" He nudged the plate. It was obvious he'd expected more.

Bulma didn't answer him though, and a sudden stern look replaced her vague stare. Trunks suddenly realized she was upset with Vegeta. Rather than answer him, she turned her attention to her plate and scarfed down a bite of eggs. Vegeta stared wide-eyed in anger. Trunks decided that this was going to be a bad morning from the start.

"Well, woman?" Vegeta now held the plate next to his wife's face, "Is this all we're eating? Toasted bread and some crushed poultry offspring--"

"_Vegeta_," Bulma said in such a harsh whisper that Trunks nearly dropped his newspaper in surprise. Vegeta stopped talking in an instant, "If you want something else to eat, you can fix it yourself! I'm not your servant!" Her tone had a large bit of grouchiness to it. Her husband raised his eyebrows in disbelief.

"What did you say?" His voice was suddenly cold, but in a whisper. Trunks tried to raise the newspaper so only his eyes peeked over the top of it, trying not to be noticed.

"Don't try and play dumb with _me_, Vegeta!" Bulma burst out, her eyes on fire, egg crumbles spilling across the table. She banged her fist on the table and pointed a long finger at her husband, who stared at her as if she'd gone insane. Trunks had a similar look on his face as well. "You know what this is about!" She pointed to the egg pieces that were scattered across the table.

"Have you gone mad, woman?" Vegeta said, and to Trunks' surprise there was a hint of what could pass as fear for Vegeta...more nervousness than anything, but there was still an ounce of fear in his voice. The young Demi-Saiyan usually didn't understand how his father could be so obedient and scared at all of a woman like Bulma, but at moments like this, he seemed to comprehend his father's feelings a little bit better.

"Why are you keeping them apart?" Bulma snapped, her eyes boring straight at Vegeta, "Do you like making people feel miserable?"

Suddenly Vegeta's fear vanished; he realized she was referring to him keeping Uub and Bra separated. Trunks calmed down a little as well, though he wasn't sure why. The Saiyan Prince smirked,

"Oh, is that what this is about?" He playfully, or as playfully as Vegeta could, placed the weight of his head on his wrist.

"Of course it is," Bulma replied angrily, "Bra has every right to date whoever she wishes--"

"So you say," The Saiyan snorted, "That trash isn't nearly good enough for my daughter--"

"She thinks so," Bulma interrupted, "It's obvious that she loves hi--"

"Don't even suggest it," Vegeta growled, "She's obviously playing with him to get something out of him--"

"Well then let her play with him!" The desperation in Bulma's voice was becoming more apparent. "Please, just long enough so I can have myself at least one grandchild--" She broke off and seemed to see that her son was in the room with them for the first time. Trunks figured she'd obviously forgotten he was there during her huge rant. Bulma gave Trunks a sharp glare, "No thanks to you, son!"

_Figures, _Trunks thought as he slowly lowered the newspaper_, I always get drug into this somehow..._ "What does this have to do with me?"

"If you'd just settle down with someone--" Bulma started, fully geared up for a head on lecture on how the boy should be moved out and with someone, preferably a woman, having kids and raising a family, but was interrupted by a well known sound in the Briefs household.

_**RINGGGGGGG!**_

_**RINGGGGGGG!**_

****"Good Lord, who is it this time in the morning?" Bulma asked herself out loud, frustration laced in her voice. She ran to go get the phone, leaving her husband and son at the egg covered table.

Trunks let out a relieved sigh, glad someone had saved him from the lecture his mother was about to have unleashed upon him. He looked over to his father, who was scooping up the eggs on his plate. Vegeta had decided he might as well eat his wife's cooking, because he sure as Hell wasn't making his own breakfast.

_Imagine it, _Vegeta thought in slight humiliation_, The Saiyan Prince cooking his own meal...and breakfast at that? It's plain embarrassing to even think of! _He gobbled down the plate of food, wondering why he put up with this. He glanced over at his son, who was trying not to stare, his focus back on his paper. _Oh...I guess that's why..._The Saiyan thought as his eyes narrowed.

"Yes?" Bulma answered the phone, her voice suddenly more hospitable and friendly. "Oh, hi Videl!" She said cheerfully, turning her back to Trunks and Vegeta.

"I swear she talks to that woman too much," Vegeta murmured, mostly to himself, but loud enough for Trunks to hear him.

"Sure she can come over," Bulma's face lit up and a sly grin formed on it, "No, no, we weren't doing anything--"

"When do we ever?" Vegeta mumbled a little louder than before. Trunks smiled from behind his newspaper.

"Yes, she can come over! Has she ate anything yet? Uh huh...yeah...That's not a problem! We were just having breakfast--"

"If you call this crap a meal," Vegeta said louder, no longer a mumble. Trunks let out a chuckle as he saw Bulma give him a dirty look, pressing her hand over the phone and giving him the _shut-the-heck-up _look. The Prince simply smirked.

"Don't worry about it," Bulma said to the phone, lifting her hand off of it, "I'll whip up some bacon and cinnamon rolls and she can have some of those--"

"_WHAT_?" Vegeta exclaimed, twisting around to see his wife, disbelief etched onto his face, "_YOU DON'T FIX US A DAMN THING TO EAT, BUT SHE GETS A WHOLE F-----!"_

_**WHAM!**_

****Vegeta was silenced in a second by the thrashing of the frying pan that was in Bulma's hand. She had whacked it across his head and shut him up in a split moment. The Saiyan Prince clutched his head in rage and pain, but didn't dare say anything, lest she take the demonic household appliance and slam it against his skull again.

"What? Oh, it was Vegeta," She shot him a triumphantly evil look as she set the frying pan back by the stove, "He's such a grouch in the morning..." She said, the sweetness and friendly tone returning to her voice as she carried on her conversation.

Vegeta saw his wife's triumphant look out of the corner of his eye, his had buried in his hands, as if they alone could stop the pounding the pain was submitting onto his head. _Damn stupid frying pan, _Vegeta stared at it as if it was the most evil thing he'd ever seen, _Why I even let that stupid wife of Kakarot bring that thing over is beyond me...Curse you, woman..._

Trunks watched his father sit in his chair in slight pain, as he slowly turned a page in his newspaper. He knew that the frying pan that Bulma used now and again on the two of them was a gift from Chi Chi. He'd never seen Chi Chi use it on Goten, but the stories he'd heard about it from the young Demi-Saiyan himself made the wife of Goku seem like a formidable foe to be sure. His mother had used it on him before, and he knew that despite it's small irrelevant appearance, the cooking utensil was certainly a force to reckon with in the Brief's household.

"Alright, send her on over whenever she's ready. That's fine, thanks for calling, Videl! Okay, bye!" Bulma hung up the phone and rested it on the counter, giving the frying pan one last satisfying look.

She walked back to the table and took her seat again, cleaning up the bits of egg scattered across the table. She gave her son a sharp stare,

"That was Videl. Pan's coming over shortly," She said bluntly. It was obvious she was still upset with him.

Trunks cocked his head to the side; this was unexpected. "What's she coming over for?"

"I don't know," Bulma said with a small frown, "Just go upstairs and at least put a shirt on." She stared at Trunks' bare chest and then pointed toward the stairs. "At least an everyday shirt or something."

"Okay," Trunks did not feel like getting whacked with an iron frying pan this morning. He dropped his paper and walked up the stairs slightly faster than usual. Bulma turned and stared at her husband.

"Now, Pan's going to eat breakfast here with us this morning, and I want you to at least try and be civilized," She gave him a stern stare.

"I am civilized!" Vegeta objected. _Usually..._

"Well, your highness, last time Pan was here you ended up giving her a black eye and a busted nose, and I had to explain to Videl and Gohan that it was just an accident!" Bulma glared at Vegeta, her voice seething.

"It was an accident!" Vegeta retorted, then a twisted smile lit up his face, "Her face _accidentally _collided with my fist."

"Could you at least try not to hurt her this time?" Bulma asked desperately, "No sparring." She added quickly.

Vegeta let out a big huff, he couldn't believe she'd actually told him 'no sparring.' He was about to object when he saw the frying pan out of the corner of his eye. He also saw that Bulma was looking at it too. Deciding not to get another knot on his head, he simply nodded his head with slight defiance and finished his toast.

"Okay," Goten said yawning, "Today is the day we learn to fly," He couldn't believe he was actually a little tired still. He'd fell asleep fairly early, but of course, Goten had figured out that whenever he went to sleep earlier than usual, he often felt more tired in the morning after. _How odd..._the Demi-Saiyan thought, gazing at Marron.

The young blonde didn't say any reply to Goten's statement; in fact, she wasn't even looking at him. She hadn't slept a wink the night before, her mind constantly filling with images of her drowing in the darkness of the ocean everytime she closed her eyes. It showed that she hadn't slept either; there were slightly darkened circles under her eyes. She looked up soberly to Goten,

"What did you say?" She asked with slight confusion.

"Uh, I said that today is the day we're going to learn to fly," Goten couldn't believe she hadn't heard him. "Is that right?"

"Oh!" Marron realized what he was saying, "Yeah, that's right," She pulled back her blonde hair, which was hanging down onto her shoulders, "I'm sorry, Goten...I'm just tired still..."

"Couldn't sleep?" Goten asked with a smile, seeing the circles under her eyes.

Marron nodded, "Is it that obvious?"

"A little," Goten patted her on the shoulder and smiled, "It's alright. This will wake you up!"

"Wha--?" Before she could finish Goten lifted her up off her feet and carried her bridal style into the air. Marron shut her eyes tightly and whimpered, "Goten, what are you doing?"

"We're going to our practice area," The Demi-Saiyan smiled slyly. To this Marron opened her eyes but forced them to stare only at Goten's face.

"What?" She didn't like the way that sounded.

Goten didn't answer immediately, but held her closer, her light blue sweater rubbing against his yellow and green shirt bearing the logo SON GOTEN on it. He finally looked down at her and grinned, "You need to practice flying somewhere with a little more room..."

"Are you sure?" Marron looked queasy, "Because I thought the island was perfectly fine--"

"No, we need to practice somewhere...higher," Goten looked off into the distance.

"_Higher_?" Marron squeaked. She did NOT like this idea at all. Images from her dream started to come into her mind, but she pushed them back. _It's alright...I'm alright...you can do this, girl...it's probably just a little clearing with a nice ledge...a small plateau...maybe he's just joking around..._

But as the clouds parted, Marron saw that Goten was doing anything but joking. She gazed in horror as they started to descend towards the small mountain island. It was just a spit of land with a small volcano-looking mountain on it. The mountain had a small formation of rock that jutted out of it's top and looked like a plank on a pirate's ship overlooking the ocean that had to have been a thousand feet below it. Marron felt her intestines twist into a pretzel.

"Goten, is that...is that where we're practicing?" She stammered.

The Demi-Saiyan nodded with a slight smile, "Perfect, isn't it?"

"Uhhhh," Marron couldn't think of any reply. _PERFECT! Is he insane? That's not a small plateau! That's a volcano mountain that's a thousand feet high! _"So are we going to practice flying up to the mountain?" She said, a little anxiousness in her voice.

"Actually, I was thinking of flying from the top of the mountain to the ground," Goten admitted, blushing slightly.

"WHAT?" Marron burst out, causing Goten to stumble in midair, but he held on to her tightly, "Are you insane?" _That's it! He's officially crazy! There's no way I'm going to do that! NO WAY!_

"Aww, come on," Goten said in a slightly childish tone, as they descended towards the top of the mountain. "It's perfectly safe up here--"

"Safe? It's a _VOLCANO_, Goten!" She exploded. She couldn't believe they weren't on the island at this second.

"Oh, it's been inactive forever," He replied calmly, as they landed on the dark grayish brown soil of the top of the mountain. "Trust me, it's safe."

But Marron did not look convinced at all. _Since when did he become a volcano expert anyway? _She thought angrily as she moved from him. Goten gave a small sigh; he'd been afraid this would happen.

"Goten, I...I can't practice up here," Images from her dream were starting to make their way back into her brain as she struggled to drive them out.

"Why not?" Goten's face suddenly became sterner, "You're the one that wanted to learn to fly, right?"

"Well, yes," Marron admitted.

"You're the one that was all for it, and have gone through every step prior to this, right?"

"Yes, Goten, but--"

"No 'buts', Marron!" Goten gripped her shoulder and squeezed it firmly, causing Marron to look directly at him. "You wanted to learn to fly and you're so close," His dark eyes met with her blue eyes and he smiled, "You're so close, why quit now?"

As she looked into his eyes, her fear seemed to subside, "You're right Goten," She said softly, "I was being stupid--"

"It's okay that you're afraid of heights, Marron," Goten smiled sweetly, "There's nothing stupid about it."

"Goten," She wanted to do something, kiss him, hug him, hold him, something. Instead she nodded her head and smiled, "I want to learn to fly."

"Alright, great!" Goten smiled and his face lit up and he grabbed her hand and ushered her beside him. "Then let's start, okay?" He let her have her space and then pointed to his feet. "Now, we're going to use that energy that we have been learning to control and center it under us, okay?"

"You mean push it underneath me?" Marron asked curiosly.

"That's the idea," Goten smiled, "If it works, you should be able to push yourself off the ground using it."

Marron nodded, amazed at the concept. _That doesn't sound too hard..._

She closed her eyes and felt the energy bright and blue inside her, burning brilliantly in her mind. She took her hands and held them straight down, fingers spread apart wide. Drawing the engery towards her hands, she used all of her will to make it circulate from her palm to her legs. She could feel the energy straining to get to her feet. Then, it started to flow easier. Marron could taste the sweat in her mouth as she forced her energy to her feet. Every particle of her willing the power to lift her up off the groung. _Come on...you can do it...come on..._

Goten watched her with anticipation and slight anxiety. _Your so close, Marron...a little further..._

Marron's mind seemed to be almost blinded by the blue light that was careening through her. She didn't dare open her eyes though, lest she lose concentration. She sat in the light for a moment longer, still trying to force the energy to lift her up, but she didn't feel any different. After a moment, however, she did feel one thing: lighter.

Goten smiled broadly as the wind picked up a little and the dust flew across him. He saw out of the blurred vision from the dust a small pair of blue shoes rising off the ground. He couldn't help but laugh; _You did it Marron!_

She heard laughter, and for a second her heart fell. _I knew I couldn't do it..._ but then she heard a distant voice that was calling out to her,

"Don't stop now, Marron! You're doing it! You're off the ground!"

It was Goten's voice. Involuntarily, she opened her eyes and saw why she'd barely heard him.

Goten wasn't next to her anymore. In fact, Marron wasn't next to anyone or anything anymore. She had levitated herself over Goten's head and was now floating higher into the sky, her feet dangling under her, a cool wind blowing through her hair.

_I can't believe this! _Marron screamed in her mind"_GOTEN_! I DID IT! I'M _FLYING_!"

Goten decided to not remind Marron she was actually just levitating at the moment. He laughed and squinted his eyes to see her in the rising morning sun, "That's amazing Marron! I've never seen someone learn so fast!"

"Except you of course!" Marron shouted back, looking around her. She was level with the tops of the scarce trees that were growing on the Volcano's rim. _This is amazing! I have to be--what?--two, maybe three hundred feet up? _

It was at this moment that she realized she was starting to rise higher, and wasn't stopping. A slight wave of nervousness broke onto her face as she tried to will herself to stop where she was. While she was trying to do so, her eyes managed to sneak a glance out towards the ocean. That's when it happened.

She suddenly felt her stomach drop to her feet. There were the waves. The black, crushing, terrifying waves from her dream, and she was directly above them now. Terror seized her, and she felt her limbs shaking in the wind, which now seemed a lot colder. The images from her nightmare filled her mind, and subconsciously she felt her lungs weighing down, as if they were full of water. She choked on the wind and lost her concentration entirely.

"_OH NO_! _GOTEN_!" She screamed as the energy that had lifted her up left her. She felt the weightlessness of her body, as a horrible wave of nausea swept over her, and she felt like she was going down the first hill of a roller coaster, only without any restraints and the sight of the ground speeding towards her so fast...

She was instantly stopped by Goten's arms, who caught her and held her firmly in his grasp. He held her in his arms, her feet draped over his left arm in the bridal style he'd brought her there in. He gently caressed his cheek against hers,

"It's alright, Marron. You just fell...it's all right," He whispered gently, as he felt tears rolling off her cheek and staining his. He lifted his head up as she sobbed into his chest. _You're with me now, Marron...it's going to be okay, _was what he wanted to say, but it wouldn't come out right.

"Oh--oh Goten," She cried, tears freely falling from her face, "I couldn't stop...and then the ocean...I had a nightmare...drowning..."

"It's all right, you're on the ground now. You're safe," Goten suddenly made the connection as to why she hadn't gotten any sleep the night before. "Did you have these nightmares recently?"

"Y--yes," She stammered, "They were awful," She said with teary eyes as she tried not to remember too much of them, "They were real though, they really happened!" She sobbed loudly again. Goten sighed sadly, as he sat down, with her still in his arms.

"The only way to get this off your chest is to tell me your dreams. What happened in them?" He figured the sooner she told him, the better for her.

"We were on the beach," She choked, "I was four, maybe five? Dad flew me up into the air with him...and...then this plane zoomed by," Her voice got angrier for a moment, then sadder, "The only thing I really remember was falling...towards the ocean...Oh, Goten, I would have drowned!" She bawled into his chest.

Goten had no idea this had ever happened. He stroked her soft blonde hair gently with the hand that was holding her head.

"But Krillin saved you, right?" He had hoped that's what happened anyway.

"Yes," She said somberly, "But I remember as we were leaving the beach that day...mom said something..." Her voice trailed off.

"What did she say?" Goten lifted her head up so that her nose was almost touching his chin. She stared at him with tear streaked cheeks.

Marron's eyes watered, "She said I would never be able to fly...I'd be too weak to!" She let out a small sob. Goten stared at her and then a smile burst onto his face. Marron gave him a confused glance, "What is it?"

"Don't you see?" He said softly, "You've already proved her wrong!"

"What?" Marron blinked.

"You were floating in the air, Marron! That's the closest thing to flying there is! If you'd known how to stop rising," He paused and blushed, "Which I probably should have taught you to begin with," His eyes strayed away for a moment, then returned to her face, "You would have been flying!"

"But--but--"

"You _can _fly, Marron!" Goten gripped her shoulders as they rose to their feet. "You just need to overcome your fear of heights and that dream."

"But it really happened--"

"You said you were four or five, right? Well, you're a lot older than that and a lot stronger now! You can _do _this Marron!" He stopped and stared into her eyes, "I know you can do this."

She stared at his dark brown eyes and saw the truth they held in them, "You do?"

"One-hundred-percent," He replied, smiling that Goku-like smile.

Marron and Goten stared at each other for a moment, and it was obvious what Marron wanted to do. She leaned forward and wrapped her hand across the back of his neck and planted a soft loving kiss on his cheek. She smiled, her face blushing slightly. "Thanks, Goten."

Goten smiled, his face a little redder, "Not a problem. Now," He looked around, "Today, you," He pointed to Marron, "Are going to fly. Understand?"

"Yes," She smiled back, ready to try again, her tears dried and her heart now filled with an emotion it had been lacking of in particular earlier.

"All right, let's try this again, and this time," He smirked, looking slightly embarrassed, "I'll teach you how to stop in the air."

Trunks managed to find a decent looking teal shirt and came back downstairs, quickly moving to avoid Bra's room, where the door was shut and probably locked. He passed the living room where Vegeta was parked on the sofa, a tight look of disappointment and aggivation cast over his face. Turning to his mother in the kitchen, who was taking a batch of cinnamon rolls out of the oven, he gave her a confused glance.

"What's his problem?" He pointed to his father, who was flipping angrily through a TV Traveler magazine.

"Oh, he's just mad because I told him that he couldn't have any cinnamon rolls until Pan had some," Bulma said, lifting the tray of cinnamon rolls and setting it onto the counter top.

"Ah," Trunks smiled in understanding as he stood beside his mother. "Why's Pan coming over anyway?"

Bulma straightened up, "I'm not sure, son," She said with a nonchalant look.

"Bet she's bored or something," Trunks mused. Bulma frowned,

"With all she's got at home, how on earth could she get bored?" She was topping the rolls with white icing.

"I didn't mean bored as she didn't have enough stuff to do," Trunks said with a grim look, "I meant bored, meaning she doesn't have anyone to talk to." He frowned; Pan didn't have a lot of family at home to chat with.

"What are you talking about?" Bulma objected sternly. "She has a nice family to socialize with!"

"She has a nice family, but when are they around? Gohan and Hercule anymore are always on outings of some kind, or Gohan's in his office working and Hercule's out promoting--" Trunks paused and had to smile, "--Whatever he promotes. Chi Chi is at the other house, and whenever she goes over there, all Chi Chi does is bug her about becoming more lady-like or something like that. She usually hangs out with Goten, but he's gone with Marron for the week, and all she has at home is Videl, which while I'm sure Pan and Videl get along great...after a while, I'm sure that she wants someone else to talk to."

"I see your point," Bulma replied, then raised an eyebrow, "You sure know a lot about Pan."

"She tells me all this whenever I see her," Trunks said bluntly, pouring himself a glass of milk from the refridgerator, "Trust me, I could have opened a whole case of information about the Son family..." Trunks knew somethings about that family that he really wished he hadn't. He wasn't sure he could look at Hercule anymore without laughing, from all the incidents Pan had shared with him.

"Well, you'll have to tell me about them sometime," Bulma said with a curious smile as there came a knock at the door. "Oh, that's probably her!" Bulma smiled as she walked over to the door.

Trunks drank his glass of milk as Pan walked into the kitchen. She was wearing black shorts, which were typical for her anymore, and a red long T-Shirt bearing the words SON PAN across them. She had tugged at a lock of her ebony hair as she walked towards Trunks, casually avoiding Bulma and he saw her give his mother a nervous look. _What's up with her?_

"Hey Trunks! Hi, Ms. Briefs," She said hastily. "Cinnamon rolls? Wow," It was obvious she was hungry.

"Want one?" Bulma asked her, "Did you have breakfast?"

"I had a little bit," Pan said slowly, her eyes on the rolls, "But our cook is on vacation for the week, and mom's cooking is...sure I want one!" She smiled, and Bulma had to let out a laugh; she'd have to ask Videl about her cooking sometime.

Pan grabbed three cinnamon rolls and asked Trunks if he'd pour her a glass of milk, to which he obliged. Vegeta slowly crept into the room from the living room. Pan saw him and smiled, her hands full with her plate and cup.

"Hi, Vegeta!" Pan said with a large smile, having not seen the Saiyan in a while. She figured she could at least try and be friendly.

The Saiyan gave her a sharp glare and then looking at the about-to-nag look on his wife's face, forced a slight sneer,

"Hello...Pan," He hated saying the name. It was so...ridiculous to him. _Honestly, who names their brat after BREAD?_

"Vegeta, if you want some cinnamon rolls, you can have them now," Bulma said in a stern motherly voice. Vegeta gave her a death-like glare and snatched two cinnamon rolls and moped angrily back into the living room without a word. Pan giggled,

"Did he wake up on the wrong side of the bed or something?"

"Or something," Was all Trunks could manage through a mouthful of cinnamon roll. Pan laughed as the two walked out of the kitchen. Bulma sighed, wishing the girl could have been about six years older. _Then maybe he'd have a chance with her...she's the only girl 'friend' that boy has..._Bulma let out another sigh and started to pour herself a glass of milk.

Vegeta raised an eyebrow as the two walked past him in the living room and headed towards the stairs, sitting down on them to talk. Vegeta growled, _Why on earth did they have to sit right by me? It's always the same ANNOYING thing! _He pulled the TV Traveler closer to his face, trying to block them out by reading what was going to be on tonight, as if he cared.

"Where's Bra?" Pan asked Trunks nervously, who was finishing his cinnamon roll. Vegeta listened carefully for his son's answer.

"She's upstairs...uh," He paused and saw that his father was beside them on the couch. Leaning over to Pan's ear he whispered, "Dad found out about her and Uub."

"WHAT?" Pan burst out, then ran a hand to her mouth, "Oh," She whispered.

"Yeah," Trunks whispered, then began to explain what had happened the night before.

Vegeta, despite what they thought, could hear every word his son was whispering. The boy had distorted some of the minor facts, which Vegeta would have been prone to correct, but thought better of it. He'd let this play out. _God, I'm doing that a lot lately, _The Saiyan thought and felt slightly depressed, longing for the time when he could have simply crushed their spines and have been done with it.

When Trunks was done telling his story, Pan stared at him with a hand to her mouth, looking as if she was about to hurl.

"You're joking!" She said in a hushed voice.

"Nope," Trunks replied wiping his hand on his pajama pants, "That's what happened."

"Well," Pan replied a little anxiously, "That makes me feel slightly better in a sense..."

"What do you mean?" Trunks raised an eyebrow.

"Trunks, I...I have a confession to make," Pan's face turned crimson, "The other day, your mom came over...and uhm...this is really hard to say...," She scratched the back of her head, her face still red.

"What is it?" The Demi-Saiyan was now more curious than anything. And so was Vegeta, looking over the top of the TV Traveler.

"Well...," Then Pan burst out, "She was going to blackmail me! I'm so sorry, Trunks!"

He stared at her for a moment wordless, "What's going on?"

"She made me tell her about you spying on Uub and Bra...If I hadn't have told her...Her and your dad," She lowered her voice a bit, "May never have found out and run in on you three..." She lowered her head in shame.

Trunks stared at her dumbfounded for words. Vegeta smirked from behind the magazine, _So she's the one that told Bulma...heh, figures..._

"What? My mom...," Then Trunks' eyes narrowed, "I can't believe she'd do that! I'll have a talk with her about it later--"

"Huh?" Pan looked up, confused. "You're not mad---I mean---I blabbed our secret!"

Trunks gave her a sympathetic smile and patted her shoulder, "Don't worry about it, Pan."

"WHAT?" Pan's eyes flashed red for a second, "I was all freaked out about you getting mad and everything, and you're not upset?"

"You couldn't help it I'm sure," Trunks replied calmly, "Besides, in your situation with my mother interrogating, I'm not so sure I could keep quiet either. What does it matter now? It's been found out...and surprisingly...It's probably for the better that way." He imagined what could have happened if his parents _hadn't _burst in. He really didn't want to think about it at the moment.

Pan smiled serenely, "So we're still friends?"

"Of course," Trunks replied and winked at her. Pan seemed to brighten up.

"Thanks, Trunks!" She gave him a quick hug. "I promise to keep all our future secrets...uhm, secret!" She grinned innocently.

The Demi-Saiyan laughed, "Sounds like a plan then," He looked out the window, "Looks nice out, want to go spar?"

"Spar? Now?" Pan's face suddenly lit up and a sly grin widened across her face, "Sounds like a plan."

"Alright then," Trunks stood up, "I'll meet you outside, then!"

"Okay!" Pan jumped up and ran through the kitchen stopping to say thanks to Bulma. "Thanks for the food, Mrs. Briefs!"

"You're welcome, Pan," Bulma said but Pan was already out the door.

Vegeta burst out of his seat, "_What the HELL is this_?" He stormed into the kitchen, "MY _SON _GETS TO SPAR WITH THAT _BRAT_, BUT _I _DON'T?" He fumed, stomping right towards Bulma.

"Darling, Pan isn't going to get thrashed to a bloody pulp by Trunks," Bulma said in an aggitated tone as Trunks ran out the kitchen door, eager to escape the arguement between the two.

Vegeta watched his son leave with a glare on his face, "You don't know that!" He spat, "For all you know maybe they're NOT sparring after all!"

Bulma actually gave her husband a disgusted look, "Oh my God, Vegeta, that is _SICK_!" She started to put the breakfast food up with a gross look on her face. Vegeta cocked his head with a sneer,

"What's sick about it? It could be true--"

"She's fifteen years old, Vegeta! Our son is in his late twenties!" Bulma looked absolutely beside herself.

"So? On our home planet, sometimes there could be up to twenty years difference between mates," Vegeta said matter-of-factly, "Isn't your mom a lot younger than your dad?" He smirked, seeing Bulma's face turn pink.

"That is not true, there's not _THAT _much difference!" She was still pink in the face, and Vegeta was still smirking.

"Still, I've seen you earthlings..sometimes older men have younger women with them," He remarked.

"That's besides the point...those men are not our son! She's just a little girl, Vegeta!" Bulma burst out in anger.

Vegeta smiled coldly, "She won't be a little girl forever."

Bulma suddenly stopped at his words. _What was he saying?_

"Vegeta--"

"Just forget about it," The Saiyan shrugged, "I was joking. That boy having any other connections with her other than being her...friend," Another word he hated to say, "Is slim to none. Forget I even mentioned it." With that he strolled out of the kitchen and back to the living room.

Bulma watched him go, but his words had struck her awkwardly. Before she knew it, she'd been standing there for twenty minutes just pondering the entirety of it all. She looked out the window towards the Capsule Training Chamber and sighed. _Today has been too weird..._

"Come on, Marron! A little higher now!"

Goten cheered Marron on as she rose higher into the air, pausing every now and then to practice stopping in midair. Goten had taught her how to hold onto her energy once she'd got it to her feet, and now she could stop herself failry easily while in the air. The blonde smiled down proudly at Goten,

"Was that alright?" She asked him, a grin on her face.

"Better than alright!" Goten beamed, giving her a thumbs-up. Marron giggled and allowed herself to float slowly back to the ground. Goten ran towards her and slapped her playfully on the shoulder,

"_I'm not strong enough_," He said in a sly mocked voice of her, "Yeah, right! That was great!"

The blonde blushed and ran a hand to her hair, "You think so?"

"Definately!" He smiled and pointed behind him, "Now you're ready for the final step. Flying solo."

Marron looked beside him to see what he was pointing at, and her stomach fell slightly. Goten was pointing at the plank-like ledge hanging over the mountain's edge. She didn't like the sound of this.

"What? Why are you pointing at the ledge?" But she already knew the answer in her heart.

"You're going to levitate from that ledge," Goten explained, still smiling, "And then you're going to thrust off and fly from the ledge."

"Where am I flying to once I get off the ledge?" Marron raised an eyebrow. Goten suddenly realized he hadn't really thought of that,

"Uhm, I guess you can just fly around over the ocean for a bit and then come back," He said nonchalantly.

Marron was close to yelling, "What? Goten, that's stupid! I'm not ready for that yet!" She clenched her fists.

"Don't give me that bull," Goten said, his brow furrowing slightly, "You have gone through every other necessary step; now this is it Marron! Sink or swim, you have to do this!"

"It's the sinking part I'm worried about! I can't swim that good, Goten, and look at those waves!" She pointed out to sea, where sure enough, the water was pretty rough. Goten sighed and gave her a somber look,

"Come on, Marron," He urged her, "You're so close it's not even funny! Can't you at least try? For me?" He looked at her with those dark eyes and she thought she'd possibly melt. She gave him a half-smile,

"I guess I could try," She said with little enthusiasm.

"That's the spirit! Now let's do this! You're going to fly by the end of today, Marron!" Goten jumped up into the air and practically drug her to the ledge. Marron could do nothing but get drug along, he was so strong compared to her.

Goten looked down at her as they reached the ledge, and Marron forced a smile. She wanted to learn to fly, but there was still this fear that clenched her heart and mind, despite the words Goten had told her earlier. It was a fear that wouldn't leave her, no matter how sweetened and truthful Goten's words may have been. She just couldn't shake the images of her drowning in the black empty waters.

"Okay, now do as we've done before in all our earlier lessons," Goten explained, standing behind her and holding her close to him, "Only this time when you get high enough, thrust your energy and force yourself to move, okay? Then, you'll fly."

"You make it sound so easy," She whispered to him, "What if I fall?"

Goten smiled and embraced her, pulling her towards him, "You won't because I'll be right with you. I won't let you fall." He held her close and his words rang truthfully in her ears. She smiled back at him as he let her go.

"Okay, I'll do it," She nodded her head.

"You can do it, I know you can," Goten reminded her for what seemed like the thousandth time.

She gave him a quick grin before closing her eyes. She levitated herself up like all the times before and felt the wind in her hair. She raised herself up into the air and opened her eyes, but forced herself to look outward, rather than down. She felt the energy in her feet, and forced it to thrust forward. To her surprise, she felt her body going forward...she was flying!

"I--I'm flying, Goten! I'm FLYING!" She screamed, but when she looked behind her, Goten wasn't there. She looked around her, Goten wasn't anywhere. Marron felt sweat rising to the surface of her skin. _Wha--where is he? Goten, where'd you go?_

"Goten?" She called out, "Goten, where are you?" Nothing. Just the sound of the wind around her. Just then a gust of wind picked up, and Marron felt her body tip a little in the wind. That's when she looked down.

There it was, the open sea, directly below her, the waves rocking back and forth so hard it looked like a small hurricane was taking place. The blonde felt her stomach fall to her feet again, and her insides twist into a thousand knots. _Where was Goten? He's not here to help me...He's not here to save me! _And Marron felt her power diminish as soon as it came. _Don't panic..don't panic...you'll fall if you panic...don't panic...Marron, you're panicking! MARRON YOU'RE FALLING!_

_**"GOTEN! HELP ME! I CAN'T STAY UP! HELP!"**_

Marron wailed as she fell from the sky, further and further, her screams echoing into the late morning sky. She was growing closer to the waves, she could hear the splashing of the ocean under her, and as she fell all she could think about was where Goten was and why he wasn't coming to rescue her. Just before she could hit the dark waves below, she lost consciousness and everything faded to black...

_**Uh, Oh! What now? This chapter was hard for me to write...lots of trouble getting it how I wanted, and I originally had a different ending to this chapter, but I think this one will work out better in the long run...you'll just have to tune in to find out what happens!**_

_**Next chapter...you'll just have to read to see! And I'll just say this...Goten gets one HUGE earful from more than one persons! heh heh, this is gonna get fun...**_

_**Well, you guys are just plain AWESOME, and I don't know what I'd do without all of you! I hope you've liked the story so far! Remember, don't hesitate to drop me a line or send me comments and suggestions! I'm open to all ideas and am grateful for them too! So keep on truckin! Peace out and ROCK ROCK ON!**_

_**Romania Black**_


	22. Day Five, Personal Space

The Taming of the Saiyan

By Romania Black

_**Hey everyone! Sorry it took so long to get this chapter up, but I had to go on another outing, which ended up coming sooner than expected, and was gone for a few days (Not to mention that fanfiction wouldn't let me post it AGAIN grrrrr...) but I'm BACK! And with the next chapter! (This one is a bit shorter than the ones I've been doing...I so wish it could have been longer...-sobs-)**_

_**As always, Rated T for TEEN for brief language, the consumption and reference of alcohol, violence, and mild sexual themes...**_

_**Disclaimer: I own NOTHING of Akira Toriyama, but if he wants to use my ideas...GO FOR IT! **_

_**Reviews:**_

**_Snarl: HEY THANKS SO MUCH FOR ALL THE REVIEWS! I LOVED EM! Welcome to the story! I thought a new spin on the Goten/Gohan relationship and Goten's life would be fun to write about, and so far it HAS! LOL, Chapter 3 & 5 were MAJOR fun to write! Actually they all have been! And I love burnt toast! LOL heh heh, glad you enjoyed it! Hope you like the rest of the story just as much! I appreciate all your compliments, and egos gettin' shakin is okay by me! We need that every once in a while!_**

**_Sinful Sakura: I used to have a HUGE problem with heights...but I've kind of gotten over it as I grew older...my dad still won't go up the third step of the ladder at home though...ha ha ha, so I got good inspiration from this chapter from him! And thank you about Vegeta...still love him! LOL, thanks so much for the review! Enjoy the story!_**

**_Kumori Ookami: Thanks! I love Vegeta and Trunks almost equally, though I tend to favor Vegeta so far too...and I hadn't noticed that all the Saiyan sons were momma's boys! LOL That info may come in handy later on! LOL Hope I updated quick enough for you! Thanks for the review and enjoy the chapter! _**

**_Witch of Erie Knoll: Vegeta does wear the pants! LMAO! I've ran into a frying pan...uh don't ask how...lol, so I know how they hurt too! And I've seen many other fics with references to them in it, and figured I had to be one of them to make reference of it too! heh heh..Don't worry, Marron didn't drown! But that doesn't mean she's not ticked off! And I try to update as often as I can, but sometimes due to busy schedules and writer's block, that gets hard to do, so don't feel bad! It happens to the best of us! Thanks for the review and enjoy the story!_**

**_Anonymous24: Thanks so much, whoever you are! LOL, I hope to add more chapters as soon as I can! Enjoy the fic!_**

_**Guys, you all are AWESOME! I look forward to every email and appreciate any and ALL response I get for the story! Feel free to send me a review or comment...or even a suggestion regarding the story! I look at everyone's as the same! Thanks A MILLION for all the support! YOU GUYS KEEP ME DOING THIS! THANKS! MUCHO GRACIAS! PEACE OUT AND ROCK ROCK ON!**_

_**Enjoy the story!**_

_**Romania Black**_

Chapter Twenty-Two: Day Five, Personal Space

_"Marron? Marron sweetie?" The little girl opened her eyes and saw her mother's worried face looking up at her. _

_"Mommy?" Little Marron asked with a weak voice._

_"It's going to be all right, sweetheart, you just had a spill..." Her voice trailed on distantly. The little girl's vision blurred, _

_"MOMMY! Where are you going! Come back!" She thrashed around on the bed, trying to focus, despite her failing vision._

_"You'll be fine, Marron...be strong," Her mother's words echoed in her ears, "Be strong, Marron..."_

Marron opened her eyes in the darkness as the last words rang in the silence of the room,

_Be strong..._

The blonde looked around; she was in Roshi's room lying in bed. She rubbed her eyes and felt her hair; it was slightly damp. She looked towards the window. Even though the blinds were closed, she could tell that it was still light outside. _How long was I out? How did I get back here? Where's---_

"GOTEN! Goten can you hear me?" Marron cried out in the darkness of the room, stumbling quickly out of bed. She still had on her clothes from the morning, but they were slightly dampened as her hair was. She ran to the bedroom door and flung it open.

When she opened it, she collapsed to the ground in shock. Goten was right in her face, a tense worried look on his face. "AH!" She yelled as she hit the floor. The Demi-Saiyan quickly lifted her to her feet and a small smile spread across his face,

"Are you okay?" Goten asked, looking at her curiously, checking her to see if she'd hurt herself.

Marron rubbed her bottom, which was a little bruised, "I'm okay," She snapped her head around towards Goten, "You! There you are! What happened? Why am I here?" Goten backed up as she bombarded him with questions, "Did I almost _drown _or something? Why aren't you _answering _me? Why--" She paused and her face lit up in slight anger, "Goten, where _WERE _you?"

The demi-Saiyan gave her a nervous glance and looked away, "What...uhm...you did not _'almost drown' _or anything like that--"

"Answer my question, Goten," Marron fumed, "Where were you when I fell?" She leaned towards him, as Goten's face turned redder.

"Marron, you have to know that you can fly," He explained quickly, his face deepening in its red shade, "It's stupid to think that you can't--"

"You're avoiding my question," The blonde growled, stepping closer to him, "Answer me, Goten!"

"I didn't want to!" Goten blurted out, "I just wanted you to fly! I would never have let you drown or anything like that!"

"Where were you, Goten?" Marron said, her voice getting louder at every word, "I looked for you after I started to fly and you had just up and disappeared and--" Marron paused and her eyes grew wide in realization. Her face turned tense, "You..."

"Now, let's not make any false assumptions," Goten said quickly, sweat forming on his face.

"YOU WERE _HIDING _FROM ME?" Marron screeched, her voice causing Goten to back up several steps. "_YOU HID FROM ME! _THAT'S WHY I COULDN'T _SEE _YOU!" She screamed, her cheeks pink in humiliation.

"Marron, you were using me as a crutch," He sighed, frowning, "I had to let you do this on your own--"

_"HAVE YOU COMPLETELY LOST YOUR MIND?" _Marron wanted to slap him across the face so hard it would knock him into the next week, "I COULD HAVE _DROWNED_! I ALMOST _DID_!"

"You would not have drowned!" Goten objected loudly, "I wouldn't have let you!"

"I almost fell into the ocean, Goten," Marron seethed, her lips tight in anger, "I COULD HEAR THE OCEAN I WAS SO CLOSE! I BLACKED OUT AND--"

"You blacked out before you hit the water," The Demi-Saiyan said in a very matter-of-fact tone, "I caught you before any water ever _touched _you."

But Marron didn't believe that totally, running a hand through her damp hair. "That doesn't change anything," She turned from him, her face red with rage now, "You still allowed risked my life in a thought that it'd help me fly?" She turned her head around to face him, "Goten, how could you?"

"I didn't think it'd be that big of a deal, to be honest," He said rubbing his forehead, trying to pull off an innocent smile. He realized he should _NOT _have said that to her.

Marron's face contorted in white-hot rage, "_WELL IT IS A BIG DEAL TO ME_!" She paused and exhaled loudly.

"I'm sorry, Marron," Goten said quietly, "But what's done is done. I don't know what you want me to do--"

"I want you to get away from me," Marron hissed slowly, not facing him.

"WHAT?" Goten burst out, afraid that she didn't want to be with him anymore. His face filled with fear, "BUT MARRON--"

"_Just_," She raised a hand to silence him, and turned around, "Take me to a car or _something_, and let me drive around for a while to cool off, okay? I--I need some personal space right now, Goten, and I need---it away from you." She gave him a suddenly sad look.

Goten frowned grimly, "If that's what you want...okay...," He could tell this conversation was suddenly dead.

"Thank you," Marron replied quietly as Goten opened the door for her. Goten grabbed the keys off the counter before shutting the door.

The Demi-Saiyan, careful not to upset her anymore, carried her off the island without a word. Marron just shut her eyes and tried to focus on something else other than the sounds of the sea below her. She knew Goten had meant well, but that didn't mean she wasn't pissed off at him. She'd need some alone time to simmer down before attempting to talk to him again...And she figured in the time alone, he could figure out just how much he'd hurt her with that little stunt...

They hit the ground beside were their car was still parked by the roadside. Goten handed Marron the keys to the car wordlessly and wondered how long she'd be gone.

"Marron, how long do you think it'll take for you to cool down?" Goten asked rather childishly as Marron hopped into the car. She turned around with a face full of anger,

"HOWEVER LONG _I _THINK IT _TAKES_, GOTEN!" She screamed before pulling out and taking off heatedly towards the city.

Goten watched her leave with a sad expression clear on his face, _Sooo...that went...bad..._He thought as he flew into the air. He looked back towards the Roshi house. _I don't really want to go back to the house and stay there alone all day..._Then a small idea buzzed into his head. Without haste, Goten flew off into the distance to get some advice about how to help Marron with her flying.

Bulma gave Vegeta a nasty look as she handed him the plate of food she'd fixed for Bra, "Vegeta, just do it! I wish you'd quit acting like a child about this! Just give it to her!"

Vegeta snorted at the sight of the plate, "On my home planet of Vegeta-Sei, she'd go for seven _days _without food and then--"

"And then she'd get eighty-seven lashes," Bulma interrupted him, "I know the whole story, Vegeta. But she's your _daughter_!"

"Exactly," The Saiyan said angrily, "She doesn't need any more pampering from you as it is!"

"Pampering?" Bulma's eyes flashed with fire, "If I recall, it was someone else that's pampered her the last two decades of her life!"

"Well, then where is that boy?" Vegeta looked around with a glare in his eye, "I'll tell him not to--"

"I was referring to you, dear," Bulma cut in, handing him the plate. Vegeta looked at her as if she was insane.

"I HAVE _NOT _BABIED MY DAUGHTER!" He shouted angrily, nearly spilling the plate of food shaking in his hands.

"You're going to spill the food, Vegeta! Just take it to her!" Bulma had her about-to-nag look that Vegeta hated so much.

The Saiyan Prince wanted to shove the dish of food into his wife's face so bad at that moment, but the look on her face spelled a slow, boring, nagging death to anyone that defied her, and Vegeta decided he wasn't in the mood for it today as it was. Turning from her to take the food to his daughter, he smirked and shouted out to his wife,

"The least you could do is make her come and eat it herself!"

"She doesn't want to Vegeta, and I'm not going to make her!" Bulma shouted out, and there was a hint of teasing triumph in her voice, "I'm going to_ BABY HER_!" She yelled out with a satisfied look on her face.

Vegeta growled with annoyance and anger, _She's positively cruel and vile sometimes...annoying...a burden to this entire fami---_

"Oh, and send Trunks down when you get done with that!" She called out to him from the kitchen.

_A burden to this entire family, _Vegeta finished his rantings in his head, _And yet she sires me two kids and I have to have feelings for her...,_ He sighed angrily as he reached his daughter's door to her room.

Goten flew towards the house fairly quickly. Usually it took longer than this for him to reach the place, but today he had a bit on his mind, and needed answers. Answers that he knew only two people cound supply him.

The Demi-Saiyan reached Krillin's house and descended onto the lawn below. Their house was near the ocean, so it reminded Goten even more about Marron and her situation. He frowned as he walked towards the house, he didn't really know what to say to the two...now that he thought of it, he really had just left on impulse, and nothing more. He had no _clue _what he'd say at all.

_How come I never think this stuff out? _Goten asked himself as he reached the front door. The voice inside him gave no reply.

He knocked twice, wondering if anyone was even there. There was silence for a moment, then the door opened wide, revealing a very surprised Krillin. The diminuitive warrior grinned and ushered Goten in immediately,

"Goten! What a surprise! Wow!" He exclaimed as he ushered Goten into their room, "This is something else? How are you, son?" He asked as he shook the Demi-Saiyan's hand.

Goten felt a little embarrassed, he knew Krillin tended to overreact sometimes, "Uhm...okay, I guess."

"That's it?" He smiled slyly and let go of Goten's hand. "How's your week been?" He raised his eyebrows as he said this.

"Uhhhh," Goten was starting to have doubts about coming here, "It's been...nice."

"I bet," Krillin grinned a sly smile as he stood next to the Demi-Saiyan. Compared to Goten, he looked like a small child. "Did Marron come with you?"

"No, she's back at Roshi's," Goten replied, his face wilting slightly, "That's actually why I came here."

"What?" Krillin's eyes widened, his face growing tenser, "What's wrong? Is Marron okay? I'll go get 18--"

"_NO_!" Goten grabbed Krillin's arm a little forcefully. He did _NOT _want the Android here to hear this. She kind of gave him the chills sometimes just being around her, and he didn't know why. "Uh, that's okay, I mean. Can this be between me and you? Uh...," He didn't know how to word this right.

"Oh," Krillin seemed to understand enough. He leaned towards Goten, his voice lowered, "What is it, Goten?"

"It's about Marron," Goten started, his eyes lowered.

"_WHAT_?" Krillin burst out, then silenced himself, "I mean, _what_?"

"Well, I was teaching her to fly--"

"Fly? You were teaching Marron to fly?" Krillin's face lit up, a small smile forming on his face, then he suddenly frowned, "Wait, is that why you're here?" His eyes grew big, "Did she get hurt? Is she alright--?"

"She's fine," Goten assured him, sighing, "She can fly, but she's afraid to. She's afraid she'll fall. Did something happen to her when she was little--?"

"Well, she almost drowned...no thanks to me," Krillin looked at the ground, frustrated, "She was so little...I thought she'd forget about that...apparently I was wrong, huh?" He looked to Goten for an answer.

"Yeah, she's still afraid...but she can fly! I've seen her!" Goten burst out, excited.

"Seriously?" Krillin beamed, "Wow..."

"I can't seem to get her to do it on her own though...she always needs a crutch or something..."

"Well, that's to be expected," Krillin explained, shifting his weight to one foot, "18's always kept her from fighting and stuff to keep her safe...can't say I haven't sheltered her a little either," He frowned, "But I know she can do what me and 18 do, she just has to realize she can do it on her own." He patted Goten's shoulders, "Don't feel bad about it, Goten. She'll come around, you'll see."

"You think?" Goten asked, doubtful of this.

"Of course," Krillin led him towards the kitchen, "She's our daughter after all! She takes after us!" He smiled.

"I guess that's true," Goten said, letting some of the weight of the morning melt from him, "So could you not tell 18 about this though? I think Marron went to town..."

"Not a problem," Krillin replied at once, "She's taking a nap at the moment anyway. Want some lunch while you're here?"

"Sure," Goten was never one to pass up food, "Then I can go talk to Marron."

"That's the spirit," The Patriarch beamed as he led Goten into the kitchen, "Now I have bologna, rice, noodles, sausage, some leftover hamburger, and maybe some soup if we're lucky. Which one you want?"

Goten turned his head down to Krillin and smiled a guilty grin, his stomach rumbling, "How about all of it?"

Krillin burst out into laughter, "HA HA HA! You're just like Goku, you know that?" He smiled as he patted the boy on the back. The two disappeared into the kitchen, the diminuitive man's laughter still ringing in the air. But as he laughed, Goten was feeling better and better about the situation...

"Boy, your mother wants to see you," Vegeta yelled as he walked down the stairs. Trunks popped his head out of his room,

"What does she want?"

"To Hell if I know," Was all his father replied as he made his way towards the door that led to the training chamber.

Trunks ran down the stairs, slight curious as to what his mother wanted. He rushed into the kitchen, where his mother sat waiting patiently for him. He nodded to his mother,

"Dad said you wanted to see me?"

"Yes, son, I do," Bulma replied, a small finger tracing her face, "It's come to my attention that you have a certain addiction problem."

"What?" Trunks gave her a confused look, "I'm not addicted to anything." He made his way to the fridge and opened the door. The first thing that caught his eye was the bottle of beer on the side door.

As he grabbed the bottle, Bulma burst out, "That's what I'm talking about!"

Trunks took a step back, "Huh? What are you talking about?" His brow furrowed.

"You have a drinking problem, son!" Bulma said sadly.

"No I don't!" He objected, putting the bottle back in the fridge, "I just wanted a drink!"

"I don't consider anything you do a problem unless your father brings it to my attention, and he as with this!" She raised a finger at him.

"Mom, dad just thinks that drinking makes me a weaker fighter," Trunks hated explaining this over and over and over...

"That's no excuse," Bulma snapped. "Now I know you won't like it, but I've signed you up--"

"Signed me up for what?" Trunks eyes widened slightly.

"--For a session in two days--"

"What kind of session?" Trunks cut in, his face tense. "What are you talking about?"

"Trunks, I will not tolerate this...I've signed you up for a Alcoholic's Unnamed meeting!" She crossed her arms in the silence that followed.

"WHAT? ARE YOU INSANE!" Trunks cried out angrily, "I AM NOT GOING TO SOMETHING STUPID LIKE THAT!" Trunks knew that an Alcoholic's Unnamed convention was a four hour borefest of sob stories about a bunch of liquor addicts who couldn't quit..._I'm not one of those!_

"I've already signed you up," Bulma said triumphantly, seeing he was in denial with himself.

"SO? I DON'T HAVE TO GO! THAT IS SO RETARDED! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU WOULD SIGN ME UP FOR THIS!"

"You brought it on yourself," Bulma sighed, running a hand through her hair.

"WELL I'M NOT GOING! I REFUSE TO! THAT IS THE MOST STUPID---I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU WOULD---_WOMAN, WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?_" Trunks suddenly realized he'd called his mother "_woman_", the deadly word only his father had ever used to address her.

Bulma's eyes widened, and they burst into flames, "TRUNKS, YOU ARE GOING TO THAT MEETING! THAT IS FINAL! DO YOU _UNDERSTAND_?" She was in her son's face now, her eyes venomous.

Trunks leaned away from her, amazed at her fierceness. He suddenly knew that it would be no use to defy her. "I---I understand." He said weakly, which made him even angrier at himself. He now had a good idea how his father felt a lot of the time.

"Good," Bulma smiled triumphantly, calming down. "Now go fight your father...or something."

Trunks cringed and gave her a sharp look, "I can't believe you sometimes." He walked out of the room, not sure if he wanted to face his father in the training chamber or if _'something' _sounded like a better alternative.

Bulma watched him leave, and she smiled grimly, knowing what her husband had said was true as his voice echoed in her mind.

_"That boy is becoming more and more like me everyday..."_

Marron found it hard to accept that Goten would do something so irresponsible as to let her go out a thousand feet above the ocean unnattended...She wasn't THAT good of a flyer yet!

_What am I thinking?_ Marron thought grimly as she parked the car in the mall parking lot. _I'm not a flyer..._

Thinking the mall would relieve some stress she'd built up in the day so far, she locked her vehicle, well, Goten's anyway, and headed toward the mall entrance. She needed some alone time to think about what he'd said to her...it all seemed so easy.

_The way he'd explained it...I should be able to just jump off the ground and go..._Her mind drifted back to the dark waves of the sea, _Goten...how could you?_

Marron walked into the mall and immediately felt lost as she scanned the shops, looking for somewhere to start. Memories of their trip to the mall earlier in the week were fresh in her mind, and she hated the fact that every man's face in the place somehow resembled Goten's.

_This is crazy, _she thought to herself_, Just forget about it for the moment...you need to let it go..._

She made her way deeper into the mall, her mind foggy and distracted, as Goten's words kept ringing in her ears. Marron tried to shop and look around and take her mind off the whole flying ordeal, but the clothes seemed bland, no good sales, the chatter wasn't loud enough to take her mind away from the events of the last two days, and on top of things, she was sure that the dummy in the men's clothing store had Goten's hairdo.

_You're losing it, _Marron cried out in her mind, grabbing a lock of her hair in anger_, Everywhere I go to get away from him...all I see is----_

"Marron?"

A voice from beside her spooked her so much she spun around in shock and nearly fell onto the ground. When she'd gathered her wits about her, she realized who was talking to her.

"Marron is that you?" The voice had came from a skinny, tall man with sandy hair and large brown eyes. He had a charming smile and tan skin, his freckles coming out on his nose. His voice was very preppy, yet still masculine enough. Marron felt her stomach drop to her feet. He was the last person she'd _EVER _expected to see again.

"Uh...Trey?" She whispered softly, trying to find her voice that had seemed to go missing.

"Ha ha, yeah," He smiled, running a hand through his thick sandy blonde hair. "Long time no see, huh?"

"Yeah," Marron said in a shocked voice. _What's he doing here? _"I thought you moved away."

"I did," He replied bluntly, and sighed reminiscently, "But you know, the scenary got dull, and life was boring...," He lowered his eyes and then flicked them up playfully, "Without you that is."

"_WHAT_?" Marron took a step back, then lowered her voice, "Uh...what are you talking about?" _As if she didn't know_..._yeah right..._

"Life was dull without you," He said calmly, advancing towards her. Marron felt squeamish.

"Trey, I think you should know--" Marron had to explain her and Goten's situation to him, but she suddenly felt his hand on her back, "--What are you doing?"

"I've missed you," He whispered softly. Marron could not deny he was a charmer, but those feelings...they were so..._lost_...

"We split up, remember?" She reminded him, laying a hand on his chest to stop him from getting closer. She could smell his minty breath he was so close to her.

"Only because I moved away," He smiled, "Right?" He gave her a hopeful gaze.

"That's what you think, anyway," Marron replied sharply, her eyes narrowing.

"You're so funny, Marron," He whispered, leaning towards her.

"I find nothing funny about it," She snapped bitterly. Suddenly she felt more than just squeamish; she felt uncomfortable. "Trey---Trey, stop!" She shoved him from her, but he persistantly drew closer.

He rested his hand on her back, and pulled her to him, so they were inches apart, "Marron, did you honestly think I'd ever leave you for good?"

"I told you _no _once, Trey," Marron replied, knowing full and well what he wanted, "That's the first and _last _time I should have to tell you."

"I've changed since then," The blonde smirked, "I'm not the same guy--"

"Then why do you sound like it?" She was going to turn from him, but he snapped her back towards him and came an inch from her face.

"Listen to me," He said in a commanding whisper, and Marron paled slightly, "I have a proposal for you."

"What is it?" She said cooly, raising her eyebrows in sarcasm, "If I have sex with you this time, you'll leave me alone?"

"Better," He said and his lips were possibly centimeters from hers, "I'm asking you to marry me."

With that small sentence he pulled Marron to him before she could even take in what he was saying to her. He pressed his lips to her and Marron tried to fight it, but he had her in his arms and was determined not to let go. She almost dared to shoot an energy ball at him, but in the mall setting, she realized she couldn't. Despair hit her as he held her against him, kissing her hard and trying to shove his tongue in her mouth, but to _THAT _she absolutely refused and kept her mouth shut tight, waiting for the horrible moment to end, his words slowly sinking in.

And that's when it happened. One moment she was feeling dizzy and nauseous, struggling to break away from her captor, and trying to force the reality of what he'd asked her from her mind, and then the next second she saw a blurry outline of a figure walking towards her looking fiery with anger. At first she thought it was another of her hallucinations, but then as the blur materialized into her vision, she figured out that she was wrong.

As Marron broke from her kiss with Trey, a wave of horror swept over her moreso than any of the ocean's waves.

The figure staring at them in rage was none other than Goten.

_**BWAHAHAHA! So how'd you like THAT? Well, I can honestly claim Trey as an original character or me! LOL, how often does that happen! And I SO meant for this chapter to be longer, but unfortunately I have had NO TIME to write and I wanted to update for you guys as soon as I could, so I understand if this chapter was LAME as a bag of rocks...but I seriously struggled with this one...HOpe you found it somewhat entertaining anyway! LOL**_

_**Well as for the next chapter, Wow..things get interesting as Goten learns some strange and outrageous facts about Marron's previous relationship with the strange and mysterious Trey! **_

_**Thanks so much for all the reviews guys! Please feel free to drop me a comment or review or suggestion...whatever you want! YOU GUYS ROCK! PEACE OUT AND ROCK ROCK ON!**_

_**Romania Black**_


	23. Day Five, A Matter of Trust

The Taming of the Saiyan

By Romania Black

_**Hey all! How are we? College is going great for me so far, and I'm hoping its going well for you all as well! College, school, work, whatever it is, I hope you're having fun with it in some way! I've been busy but have finally finished this chapter! So without further ado, on with Chapter 23! **_

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing or Akira Toriyama...but you know, if he wanted to use my ideas, I'm ALL FOR IT!**_

_**Of course, Rated T for TEEN due to brief language, mild violence, alcohol reference and consumption, and mild sexual themes...**_

_**Review:**_

**_Kumori Ookami: Yes, Bulma does have a problem with Trunks' drinking...I don't mind that he drinks though! Makes him funner to be around! -spies Trunks looking at her funny- Uhm...nevermind! Thanks for the review and enjoy the chapter!_**

**_Sinful Sakura; ROTFL! my friend Jess tells people all the time to "Get a JOB!" So when you wrote that, I cracked up! Don't worry, Goten will handle Trey in this chapter, and we get to see Goten really angry...heh heh, and don't worry, Trunks' experience with the Alcoholic's Unnamed meeting is going to be FUN! Thanks for the review! Hope you like this chapter too!_**

**_Witch of Erie Knoll: I know, I take characters I make up for granite too, but it IS satisfying when you put your own creation in the mix of a story and let them go nuts, isn't it? Thanks for the Review! Rumble at the Mall is RIGHT! And yes, Trunks is like Vegeta, only more gorgeous and maybe a little more calm and friendly! LOL Enjoy the Chapter! _**

**_Cheyaangel: Hey hey! That's okay! I know what you mean when you say you've been busy! So have I! LOL, I still appreciate your review SOOOO MUCH! Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to send me a review! It means a lot to me! Enjoy the chapter!_**

_**Words can't express how grateful I am for all the feedback and reviews on the story I've received! YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME! Don't hesitate to send a comment or suggestion! I'm open to all reviews and any ideas they present! THANKS A MILLION for keeping me writing! You guys are my biggest inspiration! LOVE YA!**_

_**Enjoy the Story!**_

_**Romania Black**_

Chapter Twenty-Three: Day Five, A Matter of Trust

The stomping of his feet walking towards them was like a slow rythmic drum that beat on the cold ground beneath his shoes. The slow thumping of the drum increased slowly, rising up from his legs to his fists and then it hammered to his chest where it held for a moment before spiraling upward into his neck. The drums were now pounding in his head, the throbbing of the beat flashing red lights into his eyes. He breathed deeply, seeing the sight before him and telling himself it was a stunt...a _ruse_...it wasn't _real_.

Goten forced himself to carry the thought that this was some sort of fluke, that it hadn't happened...that Marron hadn't just kissed this strange man in front of him. He tried to control the rage that was building in his heart, and trying to escape his fists.

Marron looked genuinely horrified and disgusted at the same time, which Goten figured she should be. The Demi-Saiyan knew nothing of how women saw men as handsome or not, but if she thought that Goten had been handsome enough, then she should have thought this stranger as some sort of mutated slug.

Goten forced his anger to control itself as he approached them. He could hear the one man still talking, his back turned to Goten and not realizing he was there.

"Speechless, Marron? I figured you'd be," He said with a cocky attitude. Goten already knew he didn't like this character.

Marron stared at Goten in shock for a moment, then it seemed the man's words hit her. She lashed out at him, "_Speechless_? More like _disgusted_! Who are you to walk up here and expect me to---to---" She suddenly stopped and blushed. It was obvious she didn't want Goten to know why the man was there. "To agree to that!" She finally finished.

"Actually, I had intended on it, yes," The figure smiled, noticing a presence near them. He turned and saw Goten standing beside them. "Excuse me sir, but this is a _private _conversation." He said with a smug frown, looking Goten up and down. Goten was slightly taller than him, and definately heavier in the muscle department, but the man looked unphased.

"At the moment," Goten said in a low growl, which was all he could muster, "I don't really give a damn."

Marron paled at this, and the man gave him a sharp glare, "Oh? And who do you think you are? What do you want?"

"My name is Goten," He said slowly, making sure that the stranger heard every word perfectly, "And I want to know what the Hell you think you're doing kissing my girlfriend!"

This time the man paled and snapped back around to Marron, whose face was pink, "Uhm, Trey, this is Goten...and uhm, Goten, this is Trey." She realized it was a little late for introductions.

"You're girlfriend?" Trey repeated, staring at Marron in shock. "When did you get a boyfriend?"

"About a week ago," Goten answered for her, his eyes narrowing, "So care to tell me why you were kissing her?"

"As if it's any of your business," Trey snickered with a snort.

Goten fought the urge to punch the man square in the jaw and instead lifted him up off his feet and into the air by his shirt collar. The man went up off the ground as if he'd been a piece of paper. Trey's eyes widened and his snickering smirk vanished in an instant.

"_WAIT_! I didn't mean that to be offensive!" He tried to explain.

"Like Hell you did," Goten said viciously. He'd never felt rage like this, and anger so deep. He sounded nothing like himself, he was so angry.

"I seriously did not know that she had a boyfriend," Trey said desperately, his smugness fading away and revealing the terror behind his voice. He tried to wrangle loose from Goten's grip, "She never told me she did!"

Goten actually almost let go of Trey in that instant, "What did you say?" He said in a low whisper. _Surely he'd heard wrong._

"I said she never told me she had a boyfriend...I had no idea!" Trey said quickly, sweat running down his face.

The Demi-Saiyan shot Marron a look, "Why didn't you tell him?" He asked at once.

"Well," Marron grinded her foot into the dirt, looking guilty, "Technically, Goten...we're not a couple..."

"Of course we are!" Goten erupted, shaking Trey in his grip, who only whimpered. "What else would we be?"

"That's just it, I don't know what we are!" Marron exclaimed, her eyes sharpening with every word she said, "But it's wrong for you to come to the conclusion that we're a couple," She paused and gave Trey an evil look, "Just because some dirt bag was kissing me and you're jealous!"

Goten let out a very out of character harsh laugh, "_Jealous_? I'm not jealous of...him!" He shook Trey a little, whose eyes widened at the insult.

"Am I still in this conversation?" Trey asked in an annoyed tone.

"_NO_!" The two said simultaneously. Marron gave Goten a sharp stare.

"You know, just because we're living in the same house does not make us a couple!" She snapped.

"Funny, with two people of the opposite sex and non-related, that's usually what it _DOES _mean!" Goten retorted angrily.

"Excuse me?" Trey cut in, a seriously skeptical look on his face, "Did you just say you were _living _with this guy, Marron?"

Marron sighed and nodded her head, "Trey, Goten and I have been in the same house for almost a week. You see we ate this fruit--"

"That's right!" Goten interrupted, bringing Trey very close to his face, "We ate this fruit and now we're engaged, okay? That means you stay as far away as you can possibly--"

"We are _NOT _engaged," Marron cut him off, her face starting to turn red, "We're just bound together."

"Same thing," Goten said bluntly, turning back to Trey, who he was liking less and less as he held him in his grip. "As I was--"

"No, it's not the _same thing_!" Marron objected. "I don't know what you've been thinking, but we're not engaged!"

Goten wanted to argue with her, but at the moment, his heart wasn't into that. He turned to Trey; he had bigger fish to fry. "Why exactly were you kissing Marron anyway?" He eyed the boy suspiciously.

"Well if you have to know," Trey said heavily, then smiled towards Marron, "I kissed her because I've asked her--"

"Let's not go into it!" Marron burst out, eager to get off the subject. "Trey, you knew my answer anyway!" She didn't want Goten to know...to know about them...their past...

"That you'd say yes?" Trey looked down at her hopefully.

Marron nearly gagged, "Uh, not exactly," She said trying force back the urge to vomit.

"What's this about?" Now Goten was getting angrier again. He quickly looked toward Trey, "What did you ask her?"

"I asked her to marry me," Trey replied nonchalantly. Marron hid her face in her hands to prepare for the oncoming event.

_"YOU WHAT!" _Goten roared in rage, lifting Trey up higher. The boy squirmed in fear at Goten's grip.

"I didn't know you two were seeing each other," He said desperately, as Goten lowered him a little.

"And what were you going to tell him?" Goten rounded on Marron, who slid her fingers down so only her eyes showed through them.

"What do you think?" She said meekly.

"Honestly, I thought she'd say yes," Trey said with a weaker voice than before, "After all we were dating--"

"You were _what_?" Goten said quickly, his eyes narrowing. Marron did not like where this was heading.

"We dated for many months," Trey said, a fondness in his voice, then it sharpened and his previous devilaire charming voice returned, "She and I were pretty serious..."

"If you call holding hands and pecking cheeks serious," Marron cut in, her hands still up in her face. Goten stared at her.

Trey let out a laugh, "Ye-ah! Right! Marron, you know as well as I do that we had something there!"

"Something I'd be soon to forget," She said letting her hands slide slowly from her face, revealing a pair of very focused eyes.

"How can you say that?" Trey replied with a sly, suave smile, trying again to wrestle his way from Goten's grip, "We almost went all the way, baby!"

Marron's face went crimson and Goten's eyes widened in surprise, "Wait," Goten said softly, as he stared from Trey to Marron. Realization hit his face and his eyes widened more, "This is the guy---this guy was the one---" He nearly choked on the words.

Through the burning of her face, she managed to give Goten a grim look, "Yes, Goten, this is the one..."

"MARRON!" Goten cried out, letting go of Trey, who immediately plopped to the ground. "I can't believe this!"

"What are you two talking about?" The boy beside them asked as he dusted off his pants.

"Who did you think it was when I told you?" Marron asked Goten, her face still a bright shade of ruby.

"Someone other than him!" Goten felt nauseous all of a sudden. A new wave of rythm was now associated with the beating of the drums in his head that was pounding his skull.

"Wait," Trey said amidst the two, his face looking somewhat unsure, "Marron, did you tell him about--"

"I told him I almost had sex with you," Marron replied bluntly, realizing there was no reason to be going around the edges with this one.

"Why on earth did you do that?" Trey said in shock, "Do you tell every person you meet about our escapades?"

"You had escapades?" Goten didn't even know the meaning of the word, but he didn't like the sound of it.

"Will you two _shut up_!" Marron cried out from between the two. She noticed people passing in the crowded mall were starting to stare. She turned to Goten, "Yes, this is the guy...I dated him...he's the one I told you about..._yes_. Trey," She turned to the other man beside her, "You know the answer to what you asked. Why in the _world _you asked it...I don't know, and I _don't _care. Now leave."

Trey looked offended, "We split for two months due to a location difference and you suddenly move on? I'm still in love with you Marron!" He replied with a sincere note in his voice.

Marron hesitated telling him to go for a second, "Trey...I...I can't..."

"Why not? Because of _him_?" Trey gave her a sour look, and glanced quickly at Goten then back to Marron, "I can't believe you."

"She told you once she didn't want you," Goten said out of the silence angrily, "Now she's telling you to leave. I'd do what she says." There was a threatening presence in his voice.

Trey looked him over and realized messing with Goten would not be a smart move. Nevertheless, he turned back to Marron without answer, "I still don't like this...what happened to us, Marron?"

"I guess we're through," Marron replied with a soft sigh, moving towards Goten, "I'm done with you, Trey...I'm sorry. I can't accept your proposal."

"This is ridiculous! You've been with him for less than a week and you're taking his side over the side of the guy you dated for almost a year?" Trey moved towards her, anger flashing on his face.

"We're through, Trey," Marron repeated, but she didn't answer his question. Goten felt his blood start to boil again. _This guy was never going to leave them alone..._

Trey turned to go, but then he spun back around and confronted Marron, "When you decide to snap out of daydreams," He motioned towards Goten, "You'll come back to me and I'll accept your answer to marry me...maybe," He gave her a tight sneer and started to back away, before grasping ahold of her arm tightly.

"Trey, don't be--OW!" Marron cried out as his grip tightened on her arm, turning it pinkish. She tried to pry him off her, but Goten beat her to it.

**_"LET GO OF HER!"_** Goten yelled in rage and punched Trey hard in the face, sending him crashing into a trashcan ten feet away. Cheeseburger wrappers and soda cans littered the floor and from the pile of garbage, a boys contour could be made out.

Many of the mall people surrounding the three stopped and stared from the man in the garbage to the couple stading on the other side of the aisle, one looking triumphant with himself, the other looking slightly mortified. Many onlookers snickered, pointed, giggled, or stared. Some walked on, thinking society was crashing in a downward spiral with the actions of the youth today.

Goten huffed, feeling a high level of increased satisfaction in the punch. It felt good to actually be in action, even if for a few seconds. And that Trey kid was exetremely annoying anyway...Trunks would have probably beaten him to the punch if he'd been there. Trunks wasn't as patient as Goten was now that they were older...he found it funny. As a child, Goten was restless, and Trunks was the calm one. Nowadays, it seemed Trunks always had to be doing something to keep himself entertained and focused, whereas Goten was fine with just laying around doing nothing.

Marron stared as people passed by the trash covered Trey. She didn't know why she felt sorry for him...she should be rushing up to Goten and thanking him for helping her. _So why was she still angry at him? _

"Well," Goten said with a small level of pride in his voice, "That takes care of that." He looked down at Marron, whose words had seemed to spark her. In a wrong way.

"I didn't need your help," Marron said defensively. She in truth was happy that Goten had showed up in some ways...but she wouldn't admit it for the sake of her somewhat state of pride. "I was doing just fine."

Goten narrowed his eyes, "You were doing fine? When? While you were _kissing _him?"

"He kissed me! I didn't want to kiss him!" Marron couldn't believe he didn't understand. "Why were you coming here anyway?"

Goten stumbled a bit in his speech, feeling slightly embarrassed suddenly, "Well, I actually, uh, came to talk about flying--"

"That again?" Marron looked crestfallen, "I told you I don't want to do it anymore! I can't Goten!"

"Yes you can," He retorted angrily, feeling a sense of heat rising in his veins, "Your just too stubborn to try!"

Marron turned away from him, "You don't know what you're saying, Goten..."

"I know exactly what I'm saying!" Goten said, his chest puffing up ever so slightly, "You can do this, Marron! You just need time and practice! Maybe more than a week's worth, I don't know. But I _refuse _to accept that you're just going to quit after going this far!"

"You're not the boss of me, Goten," Marron jabbed a thin finger at his chest, "I don't have to do what you tell me to."

Goten gave her a saddened stare, "Look, just hear me out. I know you think it's impossible to learn," Marron had turned from him so he spoke a little louder, "But you can do it! Videl thought the same thing when she started out, but she learned!"

"Oh, what is with you and _Videl_, Goten?" Marron shouted out, her face contorting in anger, "Everything has to be compared to _Videl_, doesn't it?"

"What? I don't compare everything to Videl...just the flying aspects and all because we learned at the same time--"

"Bull shit," Marron said angrily, and Goten's eyes grew large at her sudden colorful choice of words, "You talk about her all the time..."

"Geez, Marron," Goten said in shock, "I think someone's jealous..."

"I am not jealous!" Marron shouted, "And besides, who else is jealous? You are, Goten!" She didn't know why she was carrying on this arguement. It didn't seem right in her stomach, but she knew she had to let it out now or it'd just build up more.

"Who am I jealous of?" Goten wanted to hear this.

"You're jealous of everyone! Trunks, any man around me, Uub, Bra, Gohan, all of them!" She yelled.

One name had struck a nerve with him. Just one. The others he let pass by easier.

"That's crap," He replied, but his voice was noticably weaker. "I am not." But Marron had seen his face falter.

"Who is it Goten? Who are you jealous of around me?" She pressed.

"No one," Goten lied.

"I'll tell you who," She said with a slight frown, "You're jealous of Uub because he has you ex, you're jealous of Bra because she's happy with someone without you, you're jealous of anyone that's by me because you feel it threatens your chance with me, and you're jealous of Gohan because you think he's got it better than you--"

"_Just shut up, Marron_!" Goten burst out in rage, his eyes on fire suddenly and the beating drum in his head going full force. "Shut up! You don't know anything..."

"About you? I think I can guess around," She replied, crossing her arms.

"It was...it was a mistake to come here," Goten said with an angry huff, trying to control his anger inside him, but desperately wanting to punch someone's lights out. He could see Chi Chi standing beside him pointing at him in dispair, his mother's words from years ago ringing in his head, _There's another monster in the family..._

"I told you I could handle myself," Marron said with a slight sigh, "Now I'll let you ride back with me if you want--"

"No," Goten turned from her, "I don't think so this time."

"What?" Marron's mouth dropped open, "What did you say?"

"Marron, you're right...we're not a couple...we're not much of..._anything_, are we?" He didn't face her as he said this.

"Goten, I didn't really mean--"

"Yes you did," He replied with a sad note in his voice, "I...I was stupid to think like that."

Marron didn't think her words would have had this effect on him, "Goten, I--"

"Don't bother coming back to Roshi's house if you don't want to be with me," Goten said, a bitter snap to his voice. "I see how it is..."

"But Goten!" Marron had no idea he's take it this bad, "I don't want you to leave!"

"I...I need some time alone, Marron...okay?" He looked at her out of the corner of his eye. He could see she looked hurt.

"Where...where do you think I'm going to stay for the night?" Marron asked him nervously.

"You have a car," Goten shrugged, walking away, "And you have parents...put two and two together...see ya, Marron."

With that said, he walked away from her, his steps a little slower and less steady than usual. Several people were watching him go, obviously knowing something was wrong with the man. Marron watched him go and felt a small pocket of air build up in her chest. A hollow pocket of wind that couldn't get released.

Slowly contemplating all that had happened within the last hour, she slowly turned and started walking the other way towards her car. The mall simply had no pleasurable meaning to her now, and she sure as Hell was going to wait around for Trey to come to amongst the garbage.

Reaching into her pocket for her keys, she decided there was only one thing to do...get advice and go to the one place she hadn't expected to go to until a few days from now..._home_.

Despite his mother's constant nagging and suggestion, Trunks didn't feel like sparring with his father today, and he certainly didn't feel like _"sticking it to OJ" _as his mother had advised him to do for the rest of the day. Trunks cooled his heels in the kitchen as he sat at the table, his feet propped up against a chair beside him, and waited for his mother to go to her room. Usually once she was in her room, she was there to stay until morning. The Demi-Saiyan had no clue what she did in her room, nor did he frankly care.

Trunks glanced at the glass of OJ with mild interest, but the stubborn pride inside him refused to let him take a sip. _The future Prince of Saiyans needed something to quinch his thirst other than orange juice. _Taking a small look at the refridgerator and then back to his glass, he realized there was truly no question about it.

_Screw it, _Trunks thought as he got up to go to the fridge, certain Bulma had hit the sack already_, If she's going to name me an alcoholic, I might as well live up to the title!_

He'd heard that it was always five O' Clock somewhere, and by the powers, it was time for him now. He pulled the fridge open and felt a familiar cold breeze hit his head as he peered in to see what Bulma had forgotten to get rid of.

She'd tossed out the beer bottles unfortunately, and had spared him the option of vodka or champagne that usually stocked the shelves. However, one thing she had definately _NOT _thrown out was the saki and wine. Vegeta had a strange love of saki and drank it almost religiously upon the right occasion. Of course Bulma was a wine woman, so chances of throwing out expensive imports were not likely.

Trunks groaned slightly; he wasn't fond of either drink in particular. He decided that if his mother happened to check the refridgerator in later times, more than likely she would not feel suspicious if the saki was a little less in stock than it had been. After all, she'd most likely assume that his father had taken a swig after training, which he tended to do often anymore.

The Demi-Saiyan took out a bottle of saki and retreated to the rooftop where he was most comfortable drinking...he had pretty much ascertained that this was going to be his trademark drinking spot from now on...that is if he made it through the Alcoholic's Unnamed meeting alive.

_I still can't believe she signed me up for that, _Trunks thought to himself as he popped the top on the saki bottle. He took a sip and nearly choked; he'd forgotten how much he truly didn't like the stuff. _Here I am reduced to drinking this junk...nasty..., _Trunks cocked his head as he looked at the bottle, _Still..._

Trunks was just taking another sip when he noticed a strange car approaching his house from down the road. Usually cars didn't phase him, but this one happened to grab his attention. He knew that red vehicle anywhere. It was Chi Chi's car.

The crimson car slowed down and gently turned into Trunks' driveway, the headlights dimming at once and going off seconds later. It was obvious whoever this was wanted to not be noticed. Trunks leaned back in his seat and strained his neck to see who was in the car without letting them onto his location on the roof. He nearly fell off the rooftop when he saw it was Marron.

_What's she doing here? _Trunks wondered as the blonde shut the car door and started walking towards the side entrance to his house. The Demi-Saiyan leaned towards the edge of the roof and called out to Marron, "Having fun down there?"

Marron looked up surprised, her face slightly paled. When she saw it was Trunks she grinned though. "Hey, I was looking for you." She called back to him.

"Oh really?" Trunks raised an eyebrow. "Want to come up and talk?"

Marron looked skeptical of this, "Can't you just come inside or down here to talk?"

"No," Trunks replied at once, "I don't want mom to know you're here and dad would just throw a fit if he knew. Hold on," The Demi-Saiyan glided to the ground and quickly grabbed a hold of Marron's wrists and lifted her to the roof. Marron didn't fight him, but gripped his wrist as an extra safety procaution. When they reached the roof he gently dropped her onto the gritty tiles and sat down. She followed suit.

"Why don't you want your parents to know you're here?" Marron asked him curiously.

"They've been on my case about my drinking habits--"

"Oh, so they found out you drink like a fish?" Marron interrupted, a sly smile playing on her lips.

"Yes, they did," Trunks snapped bitterly, and the blonde silenced, "Because of it they've banned me from drinking any liquor."

"So what's that?" Marron pointed to the bottle of saki in his hand. Trunks smiled a cunning grin,

"That's the reason I can't go inside to talk to you," Trunks replied with a smile. Marron stared at the glass for a second as if reading it to herself.

"Saki? I thought you hated saki?" She asked him curiously.

"I do, but other than wine this is all we've got, and its better anyway," Trunks said, expecting her comment. He stared at the bottle in mild thought, "Doesn't Goten like this stuff?"

Marron blushed and looked away, "Yeah, he does...He did...I guess..." Her voice trailed off quietly.

Trunks looked up at her suddenly. The tone of her voice was unusual for her, "What's up, Marron? Something wrong?" His heart somewhat seemed to know the answer already.

"Well...you see..." Marron felt her cheeks burning, "Trunks I need some advice from you."

Trunks raised his eyebrows, "You too? Geez..."

"What? What do you mean '_me too_?'" Marron asked with a slight threatening tone.

"Did you two have another fight?" Trunks asked with slight disbelief in his voice, "Because Goten's already came to me once for advice...It's only fitting that you'd be the next to come to me."

Marron stared at him as he took another drink of saki, "Goten came and asked you for _advice_?" She seemed almost amused by the thought. "What about?"

"Just what he'd screwed up on when you two had your first squabble," Trunks replied nonchalantly, "To tell you the truth, I didn't really do anything to help him other than listen to him jabber about you two for a while." He sipped his drink and gazed at Marron, who seemed surprised, but not overwhelmed by the information.

"I see," She said slowly, taking in all he'd said, "Well, I need some advice, because I think I've made him upset...and I've never seen him this upset before...and I--"

"Hold on," Trunks stopped her by raising a hand in front of her face, "Start from the beginning and tell me everything that happened."

"Everything?" Marron raised an eyebrow.

"Everything," Trunks repeated.

"This could take awhile," Marron scratched her arm nervously.

"I still have over three fourths of a saki bottle to drink," Trunks smiled, "You have plenty of time."

Marron leaned closer to Trunks to tell him about her flying lessons and her previous encounter with Trey.

After about twenty minutes and another fourth of a saki bottle, Trunks stared wide eyed at Marron, who seemed more flustered and red in the face than she had almost half an hour earlier.

"Wow..." Trunks said slowly, tipping the bottle to his mouth, "Why is it everyone always comes to _me _for advice? Maybe I should start charging for my services..."

"Shut up," Marron said sternly, trying not to look embarrassed. "I just assumed that since you were Goten's best friend you could help me."

"Well you know what happens when you assume," Trunks said in almost a chant, "You make an ass out of you and me."

"Spare me," Marron said in a very 18-like fashion, "Are you going to help me or what? I really need some advice, Trunks!" There was suddenly a desperate gleam in her eyes.

Trunks tilted his head to the side, and stared at his bottle resting in his hand, "Well, what happened is defiinately something to make Goten act like he did...he gets kind of sensitive about this stuff..."

"What stuff?"

"Anything to do with emotions, family, friendship, stuff like that. He gets pretty sensitive around stuff like that," Trunks said matter-of-factly, "I figured he'd have done more to this Trey dude...ah, oh well, it's in the past isn't it?" His voice sounded more distant as he said this.

"Easy for you to say," Marron huffed, "What am I supposed to do now?"

"Well," Trunks took a large swig of his saki bottle and wiped his mouth with his sleeve, "I suppose the first and best thing you can do is learn to fly."

Marron's face paled and her cheeks flushed, "_WHAT_? Why flying? Why is that so important?"

"To me that's the reason you're in this mess to begin with," Trunks smiled grimly, "You're just going to have to get over your fear of the ocean and deal with it."

"You just think you can---it's not that---Trunks you don't realize---" Marron tried to spew out the thousands of reasons in her head as to why she couldn't fly, but for some reason every excuse she'd ever used on Goten didn't seem worth anything at that moment. Finally she broke down and silenced herself. Trunks gave her a sympathetic look.

"Just don't think about it," Trunks said with a small grin, "Fly and don't worry about your fear, or your past, or _anything_...Goten believes you can do this obviously, so prove to him that you've learned from him and can apply his teaching."

Marron gave him a surprised glance, "Wow, Trunks. Since when did you become this verbrose?"

"Who says I haven't always been?" The Demi-Saiyan smiled with a wink.

The blonde gave him a doubtful glance and stared out into the night sky, "I guess I've always believed I wasn't strong enough to fly and grounded myself to that belief. When Goten showed me that I could actually do it...I didn't want to believe him. I thought he was crazy...I guess I was wrong..." She lowered her head sadly.

Trunks stared at her for a moment in silence, took a sip of saki, then stared at her straight in the eyes, "Do you love him?"

"What?" Marron was sure she'd heard wrong.

"I said do you _love _him?" Trunks repeated clearly.

Marron realized there was no hesitation in her answer, "Yes. Of course."

Trunks smiled broadly, "Good. Then you have nothing to worry about. Go practice flying and when you're able you can find Goten and confront him, then you can tell him how you feel about him; I'm sure he feels the same for you. He just needs to blow off some steam right now."

"You're sure?" Marron's voice had serious doubt in it.

"No, I'm not sure," Trunks said with a small frown, "But then again, is anyone ever sure about anything that concerns with love other than one's feelings toward another?"

Marron stared at him and a amazed smile broke onto her face, "Geez, Trunks, are you usually this intelligent when you drink?"

"Usually," Trunks smiled slyly, "Don't you feel bad for telling me not to drink at the mall those few days ago?"

Marron raised a finger to her face and traced her cheek in pensiveness, "Uhm...no, not really," She smirked.

"Ah, well then," Trunks shrugged and finished off the saki bottle, "I really can't say there's anymore advice I have that'll help you."

Rising to her feet, Marron shivered slightly as a cool breeze swept over her. She turned to Trunks, who was stuffing the empty bottle into the inside pocket of his Capsule Corp. jacket. She smiled and patted Trunks on the shoulder, "Thanks for everything...advice and all..."

The Demi-Saiyan smiled, "Just don't give up on him, Marron. Goten loves you more than you know," He let his smile deepen and he seemed very different at that moment, almost like Vegeta and almost like Goku even at the same time. Marron gave him an odd look but decided not to look too far into it. She turned from him and stared down the edge of the roof.

"Care to give me a lift down?" She turned to Trunks with an innocent look on her face.

Sighing and deciding that since the bottle was empty it was time to go in, Trunks helped Marron to the ground and heard her thank him once more before getting into her car, or rather Goten's car, and driving off into the distance. When her car was a mere speck in the dark horizon, Trunks walked into the kitchen, locked the door, threw the bottle in the disposal unit, and made his way to his bed. He hoped in his mind that the two of them could work out their differences...he really did. As much as Trunks hated to admit it, in many ways the two of them were indeed similar and compatible. As the Demi-Saiyan sat in bed, he contemplated what their marriage would do to his and Goten's friendship. In the end, he figured, it wouldn't matter. As long as Marron could keep him happy, nothing else could make Goten's best friend any happier.

Marron's hands were slightly clammy as she reached her house. The sun was setting slowly into the distance as Marron pulled the red car into the drive of her house. She predicted in her mind her parent's reactions to her coming home so early and wouldn't have been surprised if they'd ran out and embraced her then smacked her for being so stupid as to have left Goten alone at Roshi's.

The blonde walked up the driveway to the front door, taking in the surreal feeling of the whole episode. As she reached the doorway, before she could even touch the knob, the door flew open to an ecstatic Krillin standing in front of her.

"_Marron_!" The diminuitive earthling cried as he flung his arms around his daughter's waist, hugging her. She was almost sure there were tears in his eyes.

"Dad, it's okay!" Marron smiled down at him, "You act as if it's been a year since you've seen me!"

"I know, but still," Krillin beamed, "It's been more than I'm used to."

"I understand, dad," She smiled and looked into the house, "Where's mom?"

"Upstairs," Krillin replied instantly, "Wait til I tell her you're back--wait," He paused and cocked his head to the side, "Why _are _you back home?"

"Uhmmmm," Marron felt, for what seemed like the fiftieth time that night, her face turning red. "Dad, it's no big deal, but--"

"_Oh no_," Krillin whispered, his eyes growing wider, "Goten and you aren't fighting are you?"

"What are you talking about?" 18 was now at the foot of the stairs, her eyes widening at the sight of her daughter, and then focusing on her husband.

"We're fine, dad," Marron assured him, looking to her mother, "Hey, mom." She almost seemed breathless saying it.

18 smiled slightly, crossing her arms over her lilac sleep shirt, "Hi, Marron, dear." It was obvious that she was glad to see her daughter.

"You're sure?" Krillin didn't seem convinced that nothing was up between them.

"Yeah, Goten just needed some time alone, that's all. And...so do I," She allowed herself to say softly, heading past her father towards the steps. 18 blocked her way.

"So you two are fine?" The Android asked with a serene voice, "You don't need anything?"

"Not a thing," Marron reassured them, trapsing past her mother up the stairs to her room. She glanced back at her parents, who both seemed unconvinced by her statement, but nonetheless glad to see her. "I'm going to head to bed here shortly, okay? I have to get up in the morning bright and early..." She thought it best not to disclose any info on her flying at the moment.

"We'll try to get up around the time you do," 18 said with a steely voice that was still motherly.

"Yeah," Krillin agreed. He had somewhat of an idea as to why Marron was home, but didn't want to disclose it with his wife yet. "Good night, sweetie! Glad to have you home!"

Marron gave her father a sweet, innocent glance, "Thanks, dad...I am too...Good night you two!" With that, Marron turned and disappeared around the corner to head to bed.

18 looked down at her husband, "Why's she back here, I wonder?"

Krillin blushed, but tried to keep his composure. He still hadn't told her about him and Goten's chat earlier that day, "Uhm...I don't know, to be honest." He smiled innocently.

The Android knew her husband was lying; she had a knack for telling when he was, or maybe he just couldn't lie well. She didn't know for sure which it was. Still, she decided that whatever reason he had for lying to her must have been justifiable. "Oh, I see." She replied simply, staring at the steps.

Krillin sighed and a wave of relief hit him. She wasn't going to inquire further into the discussion tonight, and he was thankful for that. Tonight would give him enough time to ponder what was going on between Goten and Marron and he didn't like going to be with 18 nagging him for information. He didn't feel comfortable with it. "Ready for bed?" Krillin asked eagerly; or at least moreso than he'd been the last several nights.

"Sure," 18 decided with finality, realizing that staying up all night pondering the subject wasn't worth it. She'd interrogate her daughter for information in the morning and then find out what was _really _going on.

Krillin, glad for his wife's answer, tucked his arm into hers and walked up the stairs with her arm in arm, glad that for his wife's compliance and praying that Goten and Marron were still together and that nothing would tear them apart.

_**Well, how was it? This chapter was fun to write, and I've come to the conclusion that I LOVE TRUNKS! LOL, anywhoo, I hope that I can update soon because the next few chapters...uhm...I can't say! I don't want to give anything away! All I CAN say is that the next few chapters are going to be FUN! LOL, having said that...**_

_**Next chapter, Bra comes back in action with a surprising ultimateum for her father...how will he react? Plus, 18 and Krillin try to find out what's up with Marron and Goten's relationship and Marron decides to do or die on her flying! **_

_**THANKS SO MUCH for all the reviews guys! I hope you enjoyed the chapter and don't hesitate to drop me a line about the story or a suggestion if you have one! You guys are the ones that keep me doin' this! Thanks again!**_

_**Romania Black**_


	24. Day Six, Ultimateum

The Taming of the Saiyan

By Romania Black

_**Hey Everyone, how are we? Well, School has kept me SOOO busy, I haven't had a lot of time to write. That, plus the HUGE case of writer's block on this chapter inhibited me from updating as soon as I'd have liked to, but now I've got this chapter done, so onto Chapter 24! It's here! YAY! Sorry, Witch of Erie Knoll, that it took me this long! I noticed your comment in your story about it...Sorry! LOL, she's got an awesome story too guys! You should definately check it out!**_

_**Disclaimer: I own NOTHING of Akira Toriyama...but if he chooses to use my ideas...YAYNESS! GO FOR IT! **_

_**Of course we're still rated T for TEEN due to alcohol reference and consumption, brief language, mild violence, and mild sexual themes...you already know all that, though, don't you? Ha ha ha, just warning you all!**_

_**Review:**_

**_Kumori Ookami: Thanks for the review! Now that I look back on it, it WOULD have been cool if Goten had gone Super Saiyan, but being the mall and all, that may have drawn more attention from mall-goers than the Demi-Saiyan would have liked! LOL, but who knows what the future holds! Heh heh! That beeing said, I hope you enjoy the next chapter! _**

**_Witch of Erie Knoll: Yeah, Krillin is a horrible fibber, but I still love him! LOL, so funny in the animated series! Ha ha, I know! Trunks all alone...I'd keep him company! -Trunks raises eyebrows and turns green- Erm...maybe he wants to stay alone! LOL, when 18 has to interrogate to find answers, you know its a BAD thing too! Heh heh, a litle drama never hurt anyone though, eh? Ha, thanks for the review and enjoy the story! I'll update as soon as I can!_**

**_Sinful Sakura: I know! I felt bad for Goten in that last chapter! What's a guy to do in a situation like that:( Anywhoo, thanks so much for the review! Trunks' can't help it...he's addictive! (And I'm addicted to him! Bwahahahaha...ahem, time to get back on track...) Reminds me of myself at times too! Well, while you're waiting for the next chapter, I hope you enjoy this chapter!_**

**_CheyaAngel: Hey THANKS! I try to keep it somewhat grounded in the DBZ universe, but sometimes that kind of doesn't work 100...but you know how that goes...Trunks does need a gal, doesn't he? Oh, and it was NOT a dumb suggestion! LOL, give me this character's info! LOL, who knows what could happen! Ha ha ha, well, anywhoo enjoy the chapter and thanks for reviewing! Hope your computer doesn't go on the fritz again! I hate when that happens! Grrrrr..._**

_**Thanks so much for all the reviews! I'm so thankful for each and everyone of you guys! It's people like you that keep me going with this story! YOU GUYS ROCK! ALL OF YOU! So thanks a million and I hope you like this chapter as well as the rest of the story! **_

_**Enjoy the Story!**_

_**Romania Black**_

Chapter Twenty-Four: Day Six, Ultimateum

Marron opened her eyes for a brief moment and saw darkness. She closed them back, thinking it was still to early to start flying practice. She wanted to make sure she saw everything around her when she flew. Marron decided she'd wait until dawn at least to wake up fully.

18 came to the doorway, wondering if her daughter was still asleep. Marron had said she'd wake up early, but the Android didn't know how early she'd meant. As she laid a hand on the doorframe looking into the room, she was satisfied to see her daughter's silouette still breathing gently up and down in the bed. _She's still sleeping...good. _18 turned away from the door and gave her husband, who was standing by the stairs with an anxious glance on his face, a comforting smile.

"She's still asleep," 18 said walking towards him, shutting the door gently behind her.

"Good," Krillin sighed, smiling, "She looked tired when she came in."

"I still haven't figured out why she's back here," The Android frowned, resting her hand on her chin, "The only thing I can guess is that something happened between her and Goten--"

"I wouldn't look into it," Krillin said suddenly, then coughed to lower his voice, "I'm sure they're both fine."

"Then why is she back here?" 18 looked down at her husband, who smiled innocently.

"How should I know?" He replied with a sheepish grin, "But let's let the two of them work it out if something _is _wrong, eh?"

"I intended on that," 18 said with a slight bitter snap, "But don't you think we should know--?"

"It's like _you _said," Krillin empasized the word _'you'_, "If they get married, which I'm not saying they _will _but if they _do_, then are we going to be able to know if and when something's wrong with those two all the time?" He waited in silence for 18's reply.

18 stared at him dumbfounded for a moment, then a sly and playfully amused grin broke onto her face, "Heh, when did you get so smart?"

Krillin jumped back in surprise at her response. He'd expected her to argue with him. "I've always been smart," He said despite the reddness coming to his face, "I just didn't let on to you."

18 let out a laugh, then gave Krillin a sly look, "Oh really? Well, you fooled me."

Krillin's face turned redder, "Good, that was my intention." He turned from her to the stairs, "Uh, want to let her sleep some more?" He made a motion with his eyes to the stairs.

The Android shook her head in amazement and smirked, "Krillin..." She couldn't believe what he was suggesting.

"Oh, so you want to wake her up," He sighed innocently and started to walk from the stairs towards his wife, "Fine, I'll go in there and--" 18 caught him by the shirt sleeve as he started to go past her.

"There's no need for that," Her eyes were staring past him, but then they focused on his and she smiled devilishly, "So? Want to go back to bed...for a little while anyway?" Krillin was sure that there was pink on the apples of her cheek.

The diminuitive earthling allowed himself to give her a sly smile back, "Are you blushing, honey?"

"You didn't answer the question," 18 said, but it was obvious what the answer to his question was.

"Do I have to?" Krillin smiled and gave his wife a playful jest by poking her in the ribs.

Her eyes flashed fire for a moment and Krillin knew provoking her was just going to get her riled up...which in this moment, was what he wanted. The Android chased after the earthling, who fled like a bandit on the run to the stairs and bounded up them super fast, his wife in hot pursuit of him.

Meanwhile, through the doorway, Marron had fallen asleep again, resting up for her busy day ahead of her...

Vegeta opened his eyes and felt the harsh sunlight sting them. _Damn, it's already morning? _He had trained late into the night, and had crawled into bed only after he was certain his body could take no more physical damage. The Saiyan shut his eyes for a moment then opened them slowly, so he could adjust to the blinding light filtering through the bedroom blinds and into the room.

He stared at the figure next to him. His wife was still asleep beside him, her back to him. He watched with mild curiousity at the rising and falling of her chest; wondering if she'd known how late he'd trained. He assumed she hadn't because otherwise, she would have been nagging at him at the earliest moment possible. Vegeta didn't know why his wife seemed so fascinating to him at that moment. _Women...bizarre..._

Forcing himself out of bed, the Saiyan Prince figured out very quickly that he would need to take a rest in the reguvination tank in the basement before he could train again. He had pushed himself way beyond his normal work-out. Vegeta fought back the urge to think that old age was catching up with him. He was the Prince of all Saiyans, the fiercest warrior in the universe. _Old age _wasn't even in his vocabulary at this point. And he wasn't about to admit that he was getting older.

_After all, I feel just as young_, At that moment Vegeta stumbled and felt his back crick a little, _Eh, almost as young, as I did when I came to this planet. _He sighed angrily. The truth dawned on him a little; he wasn't _as _young as he used to be. He may have been out of his prime, but he certainly wasn't old yet.

Vegeta slowly crept down the hall and made it to the steps, dreading the walk down them, and wondering why on earth he hadn't gone into the healing tank right after his training. His mind couldn't seem to find an answer to this question as he started down the stairs. Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he'd saw Bra's door open, but he dismissed this thought quickly; the girl was probably still bawling her eyes out over him not letting her see the boy.

The Saiyan reached the kitchen after several painful steps and decided to grab something to eat before he went into the basement so at least he would have some sustinence in him. This way, he could spend a longer time period in the healing tank undisturbed by hunger pains or thirst.

He reached into the fridge and saw the options before him. He had to smirk as he grabbed a bottle of saki and some cold cut meat that Bulma he'd somewhat grown fond of. Bulma only bought the meat for him, and he liked it that way. The smirk on his face was due to the fact that he'd found out about his wife signing Trunks up for the Alcoholic's Unnamed meeting. The way he saw it, this new level of humiliation was sure to keep his son off the liquor long enough for him to get some serious training in.

Laying out the cold cut deli and the saki, Vegeta turned around to grab some bread and a glass. Normally, he'd expect his wife in the kitchen fixing the meal for him, but today for some reason he had the urge to do it himself and get it over with. _Besides_, Vegeta thought as he laid out two slices of bread onto the table, _that woman would just nag at me about my injuries if she was in here..._

He'd made his sandwhich and sat down to eat it when he saw a figure walk into the room quietly and nimbly. As he poured the saki into his glass, his eyes widened as he realized it was his daughter, Bra.

"So," Vegeta managed to smirk as he finished pouring the saki, "Decided to join the rest of the world have we?"

Bra didn't say anything at first. She looked disastrous; her hair was frizzy and unkempt, her eyes had circles under them and were bloodshot as if she'd been crying for some time, and her face looked smeared with makeup, tears, and had a unclean quality about it. She stared at him taking a bite of his sandwhich as if he hadn't even spoke to her.

"What day is it?" Bra asked in a quiet, not-like-her voice.

"It's only been two days, Bra," Vegeta snorted hatefully, "You've not missed much!" He took a bite of his sandwhich as Bra sat on the opposite side of the table in front of him, her eyes looking downward.

"Oh," She said faintly, as if something was caught in her throat.

"_Oh_," Vegeta mocked, taking a drink of saki.

"Dad," Bra tugged at the sleeve of her red oversized t-shirt she wore, "Has...has Uub came by to see me?" She looked up at him with a mix of hopefullness and curiosity on her face.

Vegeta took another bite of the sandwhich and an evil gleam appeared in his eye, "Why, no, he hasn't," He saw her face wilt and he smirked, "Probably because I told him if he did I'd snap his spine and dismember him--"

"DAD! YOU _DIDN'T_!" Bra burst out, her voice returning to a state more like her normal tone and her eyes wide in alertness and shock.

"Of course I did," Vegeta didn't see how she could have expected otherwise from him. "Would have rather I broke his legs then and made it to where he couldn't have moved at all?" His face frowned, "Because that's what I wanted to do."

"It was just a kiss dad!" Bra seemed more and more like her old self the angrier she got.

"Just a kiss? Do you know what kisses lead to?" Vegeta felt chills running down his spine and the hair standing on the base of his neck.

Bra made a loud Vegeta-like huff, "Oh please, dad, I'm old enough I know what they _can _lead to...," She broke off and paused, "They don't _always _lead to it though."

"Says you," Vegeta said angrily. It had started out like that for him. One kiss and thirty years later he was sitting in the kitchen eating a deli sandwhich and explaining the whole thing to his grown up daughter. The very thought of it all scared him more than anything he'd ever known.

"Dad, Uub is a wonderful person," She paused and smiled slightly, "And a great warrior."

"He's not a warrior," Vegeta knew she was trying to win him over, "He's strong but has no clue how to use any of it!" He smirked to himself, _Or obviously how to use anything else... _But then he remembered this was his daughter he was talking with and shoved the idea our of his head.

"Well, he has no one to teach him," Bra objected.

"He trained with Kakarot for world know's how long," Vegeta retorted angrily, remembering the day the Saiyan had left with the boy to train, when he had been scheduled to battle the Prince himself. He still rued the day he'd done that in many ways.

"That was a while ago," Bra said defensively, "Plus, he needs someone to help him train, and you're the only one that's still training like the old days...you could train with Uub," She said with slight hopefullness in her voice. "Teach him all your techniques and ways..." She said this slowly, in a tantilizing voice.

Vegeta considered this for a moment. _He could teach the boy_. _Uub seems to have a lot of potential...but he still had to train Trunks_. That was the first thing on his agenda at that moment.

"No," Vegeta said with a finality in his voice that usually killed a conversation, "I have Trunks to teach. I don't have time to train a nobody like Uub."

Bra's chest seemed to swell with anger as he called her love a 'nobody'. She exhaled loudly, looked at the floor, then looked back at her father with a slightly wilted, desperate expression.

"So I can't write to him?" She asked him.

"No," Vegeta replied sternly, drinking his saki.

"Call him?"

"Of course not."

"Even see him?"

"Hell no," Vegeta said with an slight smirk as he took another bite of his sandwhich.

Bra gave a sad sigh and then her eyes flashed with fire as she stared at her father, "Then I have no choice then, do I?"

Vegeta swallowed the bite of the sandwhich and gave her a confused glance, "What?"

"I said," Bra replied louder, "That I have no choice then. I'll have to go back to Goten."

Sandwhich bits spewed across the table, along with a bit of saki. Bra grimaced in disgust and reached for a paper towel. Vegeta wiped his mouth and stared dumbstruck at his daughter, who seemed calmer all of a sudden.

"What did you---why---_Kakarot's brat_?" Was all the Saiyan Prince could stutter.

"Daddy," Bra's eyes were flaming, her voice suddenly harsher and sounding like a mix between a threat of Vegeta's and Bulma's nagging, "If you won't let me date Uub, I'm going to go back to dating Goten."

"You can't do that, he's with that other girl," Vegeta said matter-of-factly, his brow furrowing.

"I'll win him back," Bra said with a bone chilling voice, "He's putty in my hands if I call his name." Maybe this wasn't true, but Bra knew that Vegeta didn't know that for a fact. "He is Goku's son after all."

Vegeta frowned even deeper. _Kakarot's son...with my daughter..._The very thought made him want to throw up his lunch. "You'd go back out with that ass wipe?" He said in a deep menacing growl.

"Not if I could date Uub," Bra smiled evilly, and the true meaning of her threat became clear. She intended on her father choosing Uub for her to date over Goten and reversing her punishment. For two days she'd planned this out, expecting her father to do something along the lines of forbidding her from contacting Uub.

Vegeta's mouth opened in slight shock as he realized what she was saying, "Are you---are you blackmailing me girl?"

"I'm giving you an ultimateum, father," Bra said as she stood up. "You can either let me date Uub and try to get to know him, or I'm going to go after Goten again. It's your call," She threw away the paper towel and came beside her father, who stared back at her and allowed a smirk to register on his face,

"So, bargaining with the Saiyan Prince are we?" Vegeta said with a cocky smile.

Bra smiled back with a similar gesture, "Something like that." She said and turned to leave the kitchen, but before she did she leaned over and whispered into her father's ear, "Oh, and I'd think about it while you're healing in the basement today, because I want an answer by tonight. Either that, or--" And she smirked even wider, "--I'll go to Roshi's house and stay with Goten for the rest of their little week together."

Vegeta let out an evil chuckle, "And what makes you think I'll let you go do that?" He crossed his arms in a triumphant gesture.

"You may not, but mom will," Bra said coldly, a smile lighting her features devilishly, "She wants me to date someone, and if it can't be Uub, she won't mind Goten. You can ask her yourself. As for Goten and Marron," Her face darkened slightly, "Goten wouldn't mind an extra girl to share the house with and Marron...Marron can get over it!" She gave her father a quick playful kiss on the forehead and bounced out of the room; it was her turn to look triumphant.

The Saiyan sat at the table looking dumbfounded for several minutes, not sure what even to think anymore. This complicated things. He didn't want his daughter to be the victor in this game, and he didn't want that boy around her for sure, but now there was Kakarot's brat thrown into the mix. He knew she was right about Bulma's opinion of Bra and her boyfriends, and while he didn't know if the Goten and Marron trio thing was true, he knew that more then likely she would not have said it if it wasn't.

_Damn,_ The prince thought with a frown, his fist clenching on the table top, _That girl has got me in a corner...this is ridiculous..._

Marron opened her eyes and looked over to the alarm clock beside her groggily. The red light flashed 8:34 a.m. back at her. Her eyes opening wider, she jumped out of bed in haste. _I should have been up by now! _Marron thought anxiously_. Why didn't my alarm go off? _She ran her hand over the clock and noticed the alarm button hadn't been turned on. _Well, that would be why..._ Marron thought, feeling angry at herself.

Quickly throwing on the first thing she saw, which was a light blue t-shirt and white capris, Marron quickly came outside her room and looked around the living room and kitchen. No sign of her parents...that was a good thing for her, considering she didn't want them to find out she was practicing flying. Marron headed for the door and wondered in her head if she should leave a note or something to tell them where she'd gone.

_Surely they'll figure it out, _Marron thought scratching her chin with her hand, _Surely they'd think I'd gone back to Roshi's house..._

Marron decided that she had best get out while the going was good. She quickly threw on a light jacket and ran out of the house, but making sure to quietly shut the door behind her. She knew that she wouldn't need a car for this task, she had to do this herself. She bypassed the car instead, and started jogging down the road in the grassy ditch. No one was on the road today, which was a good thing as well. If there had been a lot of cars out, they might have thought she was crazy, running alongside the road like she was. But she knew that this was just to get out of sight. Then, when she was far enough away from her house and closer to Roshi's, she'd practice flying.

After what seemed like only a few short minutes, Marron found herself far enough from the house that she couldn't see it anymore. She ran her hand through her hair and looked out towards the sea, thinking of Goten and how she had to do this. _Had to_. She closed her eyes and felt the breeze run through her hair. _This is it, _Marron thought_, I will not see Goten again until I can fly..._

She tucked her hair into her blue shirt and gathered the energy into her hands, feeling it swell in her fists and gather heat towards the center of her body. _Now take it to my feet, _She told herself as she felt the surge of energy creep down to her ankles, her body shaking in the breeze as the energy fell to her feet. She didn't dare think of the ocean, the waves, or anything like that, but the thoughts were tempting in her mind and she wanted so badly to focus on something else...anything else than that moment of her darkest fear.

Then, as if out of the subconscious of her mind, the image of Goten's smiling face popped into her brain. She didn't know where it had came from, but the very sight of him in her mind erased every dark crashing wave of the ocean and filtered in a light in Marron that she couldn't explain.

She felt the wind gather around her and seemed to raise her feet into the air..._I can do this_...she told herself..._Goten, I believe you now...I can do this! _And for the first time she realized that she truly COULD do this..._with or without a crutch..._

_...Oh Goten..._

Vegeta swore up and down that he wouldn't let his daughter's words get to him as he sat in the healing tank, but the longer he sat the more anxious he found himself. Her words were like an itch that wouldn't settle inside him and festered on his flesh without end; and of course, being in the tank, he couldn't scratch the itch of her words, just allow them to grow steadily. He hated to admit that he would rather see her with Uub than that other rat, but he knew that in the end that's what it would come down to.

_Either see her with the warrior Uub...or that lazy snag of Kakarot...There really wasn't any question about it, was there?_

Trunks made his way into the living room after having a quick breakfast of toast and eggs and found Bra sitting on the couch, looking towards the basement door with mild interest on her face. She seemed to be waiting for something.

Scratching his head at this odd sight and tugging at the leg of his charcoal gray sleeping pants, he gave his sister a sideways glance, "What's up with you? What are you looking at?" He motioned towards the doorway.

Bra smiled softly, "I'm just seeing how long it takes father to heal in his tank downstairs."

"Why on earth would you do that?" Trunks was now even more curious to his sister's bizarre actions. He took a seat next to her in the recliner beside the couch.

The Demi-Saiyan girl smiled menacingly, "Well, I figured he'd heal a lot faster if his mind was focused on something...other than healing..." She smirked and closed her eyes.

"Okay, what are you talking about?" Trunks said with a frown, not knowing what this was about.

"That's for me to know and for you to find out," Bra said with a scowl. She situated herself in her seat and continued looking at the doorway to the basement. Trunks decided to sit down and see how this played out. He knew that there was nothing at Capsule Corp. to be done..._What else did he have to do today? _Curious to find out what his sister was talking about, Trunks sat in silence with Bra as the two anxiously watched the basement door.

When Trunks finally forced himself to look back at the clock on the wall of the room, he saw that it had been almost an hour since he'd made his way into the room. _Geez...how much longer is she gonna sit here? _From the expression of alertness and anxiousness on his sister's face, he could tell she was ready and willing to stay there as long as necessary.

"Bra? Are you going to sit here all afternoon?" Trunks finally managed to ask her.

She tore her gaze from the door for a second and he saw the determined look in her eyes, "If I have to. Why?"

Trunks let out a loud sigh and stood up, frustrated with her answer, "Whatever. I can't sit here any longer. I'm going--"

He was cut off by the loud opening of the basement door. Walking out into the living room draped in a dark blue bath robe and wearing his usual navy training outfit, Vegeta walked towards Bra with his head high and his eyes fierce. Trunks stopped dead in his tracks and silenced himself, eager to see what was going to happen now.

Bra gave her father an inquisitive look as he came up next to her, his eyes flashing threateningly. He cleared his throat loudly,

"I've thought about your proposition," He said eyeing her darkly, "And I've come to a decision."

"Which is?" Bra asked, her eyebrows raised. Trunks edged closer to them.

The Saiyan sighed and his eyes cast downward for a second. Bra knew what was coming before he even said anything, her eyes lighting up with joy, "I suppose that the boy would be better to deal with than Kakarot's brat...," He couldn't believe he was going to say this aloud, "You can date him." He muttered almost inaudibly, but Bra had heard him perfectly.

"Thank you, father!" Bra hugged her father, who grimaced at the notion, and quickly turned from him, her long blue hair swishing in the light from the overhead lamp. "You won't regret this!" She called out to him. Vegeta knew that in retrospect, he would probably end up doing so, but decided that at least this way she was happy...for now. That's all he could ask for her, anyway. Trunks stared at her as she bounced towards the kitchen door, and turned to his father with a mildly curious look.

"So, what was that about?" Trunks asked, a curious smirk playing on his face.

"Nothing that concerns you," Vegeta grunted, his normal scowl returning to his face.

"Really?" Trunks smiled, following his dad into the kitchen, realizing what she'd been waiting on. "Was it me, or did you just let your daughter go out with Uub?"

Vegeta rounded on him, and Trunks took a few steps back in surprise, "It must have just been you!" He said with a loud angry voice. Trunks smiled, anticipating this answer,

"I guess so," He said, but there was a hint of satisfaction in his voice. "So, where are you off to now?" He asked as he followed his father to the door of the kitchen.

Vegeta didn't answer him at first, "I've healed up, so I'm going to train." He glared at his son out of the corner of his eye, feeling like a moron for caving into his daughter's persuasion like he did and feeling low for having his son taunt and tease him about it. Training would take his mind off of all that. "Is there a problem with that?" He threatened.

Trunks shook his head, "No, of course not," Then he smiled, "Would you like a sparring partner?"

Vegeta actually stopped dead in his steps and stared at his son. Very rarely anymore did his son ask if he wanted to spar. "Seriously?" Vegeta asked with mild confusion.

"I figured I needed the training," Trunks replied and cast his father a sly grin, "Since you and Uub are going to be training together probably here shortly."

_Should have seen that coming..._ "Oh, is that what you think?" The Saiyan Prince smirked evilly as he opened the door. "Well, I have news for you. If that boy decides to spar against me, he'll have another thing coming."

"I think you're wrong," Trunks said firmly, "Uub's pretty tough."

"Tougher than you?" The prince said with a cold smile. He knew the taunt would have its desired effects, which sure enough, it did. His son gave his father a look as if he'd been dipped in ice water.

"_No_," The boy said defensively, "But close. Very close." He hadn't fought Uub before, so he didn't know how close in power they really were. He was guessing, really.

"Heh," Vegeta smirked and ushered the boy out the door, "Then let's find out how tough you are, so I'll have something to compare with. To the training chamber?" He raised his eyebrows to Trunks, who smirked back with a smile to match his father's.

"To the training chamber," And the two made their way outside to catch up on some long awaited sparring.

_**So, how did you like this chapter? I thought it turned out okay...It was really hard for me to get the dialogue for this right, and it could have been a lot better, but I still think it turned out okay! I meant to have more with Marron in this chapter, but I think I'm going to save it for next chapter to add to the dramaticness...uh, you'll see what I mean next chapter! Heh heh...**_

_**Well, speaking of which, next chapter we see the drama with Goten and Marron unfold...that's all I'm saying about that! Don't want to ruin anything for you...let's just say it's gushy, mushy, and a little steamy! Bwahahahahahaha! **_

_**Well, thanks guys for all the support you've given me! I truly appreciate every review, comment, and suggestion I recieve and encourage all who read this to drop me a comment on how the story's going for you! I'm open to any and all suggestions! So don't hesitate to drop me a line! You guys keep me writing and are AWESOME! Peace out and rock ROCK ON!**_

_**Catch Ya on the Flip Side,**_

**_Romania Black_**


	25. Day Six, We Were Meant To Be

The Taming of the Saiyan

By Romania Black

_**Hey everyone! Wow, not a whole lot of writer's block with this chapter, which was AWESOME! I love it when you can write about something and not stop until its practically finished! You just feel so...satisfied! I was at least! This chapter was a lot of fun to write and I hope you enjoy it!**_

**_NOTE: For those that have been following this story, many chapters ago, a reviewer pointed out an important piece of info that was wrong to me and it's taken me forever to get to a spot where I could put the correct info into effect...but this chapter is the one! Princess Star Neko, you know who you are, and THANKS for that bit of DBZ factual info! I'm so glad you told me! _**

_**Disclaimer: I own NOTHING of Akira Toriyama, but hey, if he wants to use my ideas...GO FOR IT! **_

_**Of course, rated T for TEEN due to mild sexual themes, brief language, alcohol references and consumption, and mild violence...**_

_**Reviews:**_

**_Witch of Erie Knoll: LOL, wow! Don't hurt yourself trying to find out what's going to happen next! ha ha ha, I'll update as soon as I possibly can, don't worry! Vegeta can be a meat head, and I'm glad that you want to know what's going to happen! Well, here's another chapter for you! Hope you like it! Thanks for the review!_**

**_Ace8488: AWWW! THANKS SO MUCH! -blushes- I'm so happy you've enjoyed the story this far! That really means a lot to me! That comment about the potter and shaping the lump of clay teared me up! No fooling! LOL, thanks so much for being a fan of the story this long, and I hope you stay a fan until I'm finished! Thanks again, and enjoy the rest of the story! _**

**_CheyaAngel: I agree! Marron DOES need to fly, and by the end of this chapter we'll see if she does! LOL, thanks for the character info! I was kind of freaked out, because I'm thinking up a sequel story to this...or at least a side story, and it's going to have an adult Pan in it, and the grown up version I sketched out looks like that description! It was insane when i read it! So...we'll see! LOL, thanks for the review and I hope you enjoy this chapter too!_**

**_Sinful Sakura: I hate it when computers act up! LOL! I really do! Ha ha ha, Don't worry about Bra going after Goten. She was just using that to get Vegeta to let her date Uub! Yeah, no more Bra for Goten! LOL! If you want to know about Marron and Goten's relationship, just read this chapter and you'll find out! Thanks for the review! Enjoy the story too:)_**

**_Kumori Ookami: LOL, Vegeta is the Prince of Darkness--woops!--I mean the Prince of Saiyans...ha ha ha, he's not Ozzie! LOL Anywhoo, and yes, Bra is conniving, but darn she knows how to get her way, huh? Don't worry I'll update as soon as I can! Thanks for the review and enjoy the chapter!_**

_**Well, I won't take any more of your time and let you get on with reading the next chapter! Thanks A MILLION for all the reviews you guys! I love ya! Please don't hesitate to send me a comment or review! I'm open to all suggestions! Thanks you guys! PEACE OUT AND ROCK ROCK ON!**_

_**Enjoy the Story!**_

_**Romania Black**_

Chapter Twenty-Five: Day Six, We Were Meant To Be

Goten paced around the living room, his mind flooded with anger. The walls on the room seemed to tilt dizzily, and Goten had to stop for a moment to remained focused. _I should never have gone to talk to her...it was pointless... _Goten thought to himself.

_Ah, but then if you hadn't have gone_, The voice in his head answered thoughtfully, _You would have never caught her and the one man--_

_That was nothing_, Goten thought furiously, _He was nothing to her..._

_Then why did she kiss him?_ The other voice answered with a poisoned honey voice. _If she didn't like him? Hmmm?_

The Demi-Saiyan panced around the room some more, his brow furrowed in concentration, and his dark eyes narrowed, making him look rather sinister and very unlike Goku. _She said she didn't kiss him, that he kissed her..._

_Is there a difference? _The voice asked with a laugh.

_Shut up, _Goten said defiantly as the voice in his head laughed more_, Shut up!_

_Sounds like someone's jealous..._The voice in his head taunted_, You're jealous, Goten..._

_No I'm not! _Goten thought in protest, _I'm jealous of no one..._but even thinking it, it sounded false.

_Jealous...jealous...Goten is jealous..._The voice said in an evil chant inside his brain, _Goten's jealous of Trey...of Bra...of Uub..._

_SHUT UP! _Goten screamed in his mind, his hands gripping his head as if there was some kind of monster inside it.

There was a moment of silence, then the voice chuckled in his mind and whispered low,

_...jealous of Gohan..._

**_"SHUT UP!"_ **Goten screamed, and in that blinding second, his power spiked and he felt the surge of energy reach his fingertips and the electricity fly from his skin. He looked at the mirror beside him and realized he'd just turned into a Super Saiyan, his golden hair whirling as if by an artificial breeze, and his eyes now a blue-green color.

Goten turned from the mirror and sighed in frustration, letting his power level decrease. Slowly his hair turned back to black and his eyes darkened. The electricity did not all the way leave his hands, but remained there sending sparks across the room. The Demi-Saiyan plopped himself down onto the couch and buried his head in his hands, exhaling slowly.

_I'm pathetic, _Goten thought_, I'm getting all worked up over this...there's no reason to...could it get any worse?_

**_KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!_**

The Demi-Saiyan nearly jumped out of his skin, flopping from the couch and into the floor. Rising steadily to his feet, Goten looked at the door curiously. _Who could that be? _He wondered, then his heart was filled with hope._ Maybe it's Marron! Maybe she flew over here on her own! _He started towards the doorway faster now, _Could it be?_ He asked himself as he flung open the door.

The figure standing in front of him was _not _at all Marron. In fact it was someone that he hadn't expected to see ever again...

Marron dashed back towards the house as fast as she could run, her feet going all out as hard as they could. Her hair was messy and sweat rolled down her forehead, but she didn't have time to worry about that now. She had to see Goten and she had to see him now!

Paying no attention to the car missing from the driveway, Marron rushed into the house, huffing and puffing, looking around for some sign of life. Her mom, dad, anyone. At this point, she didn't care. She looked around anxiously, _Where was everyone?_

Her head snapped towards the stairs as she heard a familiar whistle echo across the hall. Krillin came walking out onto the stairway, a light blue bath robe wrapped around him and his graying hair slicked back with water, but no sign of a recent shower other than his hair. The diminuitive warrior stopped dead center in the hall and looked down at his daughter, a slightly embarrassed look on his face.

"Dad?" Marron asked in a mix of disgust and shock. "Why are you walking around draped in a bath robe?"

"Oh, hey honey," Krillin's face was redder, "Uhm...this?" He clutched his bath robe, feigning ignorance, then realized it wasn't going to work, "Well, you know...since you've been gone...haven't had the need...to..."

"To dress?" Marron cried out in disgust, her hands on her hips. "Dad! Come on!"

"I thought you'd left," He pointed out, the red in his face subsiding, "Did you not go back to Roshi's?"

"Well, I'm going to," Marron explained as she focused on his face, trying not to look at the light blue robe, "But I needed some help first."

"Help?" Krillin frowned, "Help with what?"

Marron sighed, "I need you to carry me back to Roshi's and drop me off there." _Yeah..right!_

The earthling frowned deeper, not wanting to tell his daughter what he knew, but realizing sooner or later, he'd have to. "Can't you fly there?" He asked subtly.

"Well, actually---wait---" Marron paused and her eyes grew wide, as realization hit her, "_DAD_! How did you--?"

"Goten told me," Krillin replied, seeing her confused look. Her eyes grew wider still.

"_WHAT_?" Marron exclaimed. "What do you mean he told you? When?" Her face was full of curiousity as well as anger.

"He came by here yesterday to ask what could be done about your fear of the ocean," Krillin said matter-of-factly, "That's when he told me."

Marron was dumbstruck, "So you knew? About why I stayed here last night?"

"Did you have a fight?" Krillin asked, a concerned look on his face.

"Well...yes," Marron admitted, her cheeks stained with pink. "We did," She saw her father giving her an _I-knew-it _look. "So what did you say about my fear of the ocean?" She demanded, her eyes narrowing and becoming 18-like.

Krillin shrugged nonchalantly, "Does it matter now?" He raised an eyebrow, "Can't you fly there?" He repeated.

"If I can," Marron said slowly, still in disbelief that her father knew about it all, "then I want to keep it a surprise for Goten." She smirked.

Krillin let the words sink in and then smiled back, "I see. Alright then," He stared down at himself, "Let me changle clothes and then I'll take you."

It was not more than five minutes later that the two were on their way, Marron in her father's arms as he flew towards the Roshi house. Marron worried that she'd be too much for him to carry, but despite the warrior's height, he was every bit as strong enough to carry her. Krillin smiled down at his daughter, somewhat thankful she wasn't too heavy for him. _Still got it..._He smiled to himself.

"Where was mom at?" Marron asked as they flew along.

"Did you not see the missing car?" Krillin asked her, eyebrows raised, "She went to town to get some groceries," He sighed, "It took forever to get her to leave the house."

"Why?"

"She wants to know what's up with you guys," Krillin replied with a smirk, "She's worried sick something's wrong between the two of you."

"Well, she's right," Marron replied with a small frown.

Krillin gave her a concerned look, "You two'll be fine," He coaxed her as they reached the Roshi house. The house was a small speck in the distance, but gradually grew larger as they became closer to it. "There it is," Krillin said with a joyous voice.

Everything looked as it had been left the last time she'd seen the house, but something was different.

"Dad, look there!" Marron pointed to a small green speck below them. As they descended towards the ground, the speck became clearer and clearer. Before long, the two saw that it was a turtle. A big turtle.

The sleepy terapin blinked its eyes and gave the two a warm look, "Hello there," It said slowly.

"Hi," Marron replied, not sure what to say, but Krillin jumped in, his eyes wide in surprise.

"Turtle?" The warrior looked stunned with awe.

"Oh, it is you, Krillin. Good to see you," Turtle replied, his sleepy eyes suddenly more awake as he squinted to see who it was in front of him.

Marron tilted her head to the side in confusion, "Dad, how does he know--"

"What on earth are you doing here, Turtle?" Krillin asked in surprise, "Unless--" the warrior stopped and stared at the door, his eyes widening. "--Of _course_! I don't _believe _it!" He ran to the front door and swung it open. Marron raced to his side to see who was in the house with Goten.

Sitting on the couch in the front room with his feet propped onto the coffee table reading a pin up poster magazine was not Goten, but an old man with a white beard, green shades, a red Hawaiian shirt, khaki cargo shorts, and a gnarled cane. The elder peaked his head up and smiled a sheepish grin, and Marron immediately remembered him from her childhood.

"What on earth--?" She whispered in shock. _It can't be..._

"_ROSHI_?" Krillin blurted out in surprise, obviously asking what Marron couldn't will herself to ask.

"Eh, hello," The old man said with a crooked smile, several of his teeth missing. "Long time no see and what-not." He turned his attention back to the pin up magazine.

"Oh my God, it _IS _you Roshi!" Krillin laughed, his eyes wide and his face split into a broad smile. "Where on earth have you been?"

"Well, I've haven't been _dead _if that's what you mean!" The old man shouted, his magazine closing in his lap. He looked mildly flustered. "I leave for a little vacation, and everyone assumes I'm dead! It's outrageous!" He angrily flipped another magazine open. The two stared in complete shock at him.

Marron gaped, "But...but weren't you dead?"

"_HA_!" Roshi laughed, as Krillin and Marron backed up a step in surprise, "Dead? I _can't _die! I drank from the fountain of eternal life! I'll look older, but I'll never _die_ of old age." Roshi stated matter-of-factly. "I thought I told people that..." He sighed with frustation, his voice trailing off.

"But...but...where did you go, Master Roshi?" Krillin asked, still stumbling from the surprise of seeing his old mentor.

"I went away with Turtle for a spell," Roshi smiled, looking outside to where his friend sat basking in the sun, "I also saw Goku for a short while. He's doing fine by the way," The old master said, seeing the amazed look on their faces.

The two were speechless for a moment, as Roshi flipped through the magazine, chuckling at pictures of half naked women, and some that were more than half naked.

"_Wow_," Was all Krillin could say, ending the long pause.

"You met..._Goku_?" Marron was breathless. "_How_?"

Roshi looked up angrily, "Everyone seems to forget I have a sister that can travel from the Land of the Living to Heaven and back," Roshi said in an upset voice, "Does no one _EVER _listen to me?" He sighed and continued to thumb through his magazine.

Krillin and Marron looked at each other, not wanting to believe what had just transpired. Roshi watched them over the top of his magazine.

"So what are you two doing here anyway? Come to drink some more of my liquour?" He said angrily, and Marron's face turned bright red. "I noticed that all of it was _gone_!" He yelled out, pointing a blaming finger at Marron, who backed up a step.

"What's this about liquor?" Krillin asked with mild interest, turning to his daughter who was now standing behind him.

"I have no clue what he's saying dad," Marron lied, trying to cover the fact that her face was crimson.

"Yeah, sure," Krillin answered his daughter skeptically.

"So why are you here again? You never answered me," Roshi said with a curious look.

Krillin decided to get his answers from her later. For the time being, the question of who drank Roshi's liquor wasn't important, "I brought Marron here to see Goten," Krillin said with a small smile.

"Ah," The hermit replied as if he'd expected the answer, "Well, I'm sorry to say he's not here."

"_WHAT?"_ The two shouted simultaneously.

"I found him here when I returned and we talked a while," Roshi stood up from the couch, cane in hand, "He's upset, that boy. I don't know why, though..." Roshi's voice trailed off, as Marron's face turned redder than before, her lip quivered slightly.

"Where'd he go?" Krillin asked abrubtly.

"Can't say for sure," Roshi tilted his head towards the ceiling, as if sensing something. "He's not far."

Marron turned quickly to her father, "Daddy, I'm going to find him. I think I know where he went." She remembered the spot where they'd trained, and how it wasn't very far from there.

"You're doing this on your own?" Krillin grasped her arm, "There is the ocean around us you know."

"That's no longer an excuse for me," Marron sighed and frowned, "I'm the one that made him upset, dad," Marron said softly, placing a hand on his hand that was grapsing her shoulder, "It's my fault this time...so I have to do this," She looked him straight in the eye, "Alone."

Her father looked from her to Roshi, who was oogling at a fold out poster of a woman, and back to Marron. He sighed and a wide grin spread across his face, "If you must," He said, smiling gently.

He released her arm and she gave him a short hug, "I can do this. I know I can."

Krillin grinned and nodded his head, "I know you can too, sweetheart. Don't let him get away, now." He nudged her towards the door.

"Thanks for understanding, dad," Marron smiled and rushed to the doorway, shutting the door behind her.

The earth warrior smiled inward to himself and made his way quietly towards Roshi, who was practically drooling over the magazine he was reading. Krillin looked over his shoulder at the pin up, his face forming into a sly grin.

"Been awhile since you've read these?" He said with a smirk.

The old hermit stopped drooling and gave him a serene look, "You try reading them for hundreds of years and then not be around them for a couple of years and tell me how it goes." He turned back towards the magazine, his eyes scanning the picture in front of him slowly.

Krillin looked at the spread Roshi was staring at and shook his head, "I'm just amazed Goten hadn't gotten a hold of these yet."

Roshi snorted loudly and gave Krillin a look of disbelief, "Are you kidding? This is Goku's son we're talking about," He chuckled, turning the magazine upside down for unknown reasons.

"So?" Krillin raised an eyebrow as the old man drooled some more at the image.

"Goku, Gohan, Goten...they're all the same when it comes to anything that has to do with women," Roshi paused and smiled, "They have no idea what they're doing!"

Goten had flown to the training spot where he'd started training Marron to fly. He felt horrible as soon as he'd arrived, remembering everything that had transpired the last few days. He hit the ground of the open field that was surrounded by blasted rocks and dirt clods that Marron had blown up. This only made him feel worse. He should have gone somewhere else, but where else could he have gone? Then he lifted his head into the air, his eyes widening.

"The volcano...," He muttered before leaping into the sky, the wind picking up around him. After a few moments, the wind died, just as Marron arrived onto the scene. She landed in the clearing near where Goten had just been.

She looked around, her eyes scanning over the area. She could have sworn that Goten was here a second ago. _Where would he go if not here? _She wondered curiously.

_Wait..._her eyes grew large,_ The VOLCANO!_

She let out a loud gulp and thrusted her hands straight down, readying herself for take off.

"You can do this, Marron...," The ocean waves were in her mind, "You are not...afraid...," The waves were closer, she could hear the ocean, "You are not...**_AFRAID!_**"

Marron screamed into the air and the power of her screeching Ki thrusted her into the air, the wind beneath her sending the crumbled rocks and boulders below her flying into opposite directions. As she ascended into the air, the blonde allowed herself to smile with unhindered joy; she was flying.

The sky had taken a turn for the worst, the clear white thin clouds slowly transcending to dark fluffier, yet more terrifying clouds. A sign of rain. Goten would have normally taken notice of such things as storm clouds, but his mind was in another place at the moment. Try as he might, he couldn't erase the pending thoughts of Marron from his mind.

He landed on the volcano top as easily as if he'd been born to land there and paced around its surface, going over and over in his mind how stupid he'd been now...letting her go like he did. He'd messed up again; he realized that this time fore sure she'd never come back to him.

_It's over, _he thought to himself, the idea tearing at his mind uncontrollably. He felt his heart seeth with anger, more at himself than at her. _She's not coming back...you had it so good, Goten!_ He remembered how perfect that one afternoon in the sun on the sand had been, and the way her blue eyes sparkled in the moonlight that night they slept beside one another. The taunting voice in his mind said nothing; it didn't have to. The sheer image of her face danced around teasing him enough. He clenched his fists, his eyes narrow and hopeless. _You ruined everything..._

He felt a raindrop on his nose, but took no notice of it. _Figures it'd start raining...couldn't get much worse..._His mouth formed a tight frown, his eyes closing in despair. He allowed his mind to turn black, until there was no thought or image of her that came to his mind.

_I might as well forget her...she's gone...She's not coming--_

"Goten?"

The word jolted his mind and heart to a standstill. His thoughts froze in midair. _That voice...is this a dream? _Goten wondered, his eyes still firmly shut. The voice repeated it's phrase, almost like a chant,

"Goten?" The voice was hers. The Demi-Saiyan knew this HAD to be a dream.

"Why do you haunt me?" Goten said in almost a whisper. "Why do I have to see you in everything I do? Even my dreams you're here."

Marron's face frowned; _so he thought she was a dream, huh? _She tried to get a good look at him, but his face was turned from her, his eyes still closed. "Goten, I'm not a dream." She said firmly.

The Demi-Saiyan shook his head in objection. "Yes you are, don't tease me. If you were real, you'd never have come back to me."

"Well, I did," Marron couldn't believe how childish he was sounding. _She'd came all this way for him to act like this? Of course not. _"Goten, quit acting like a child and look me in the face when I talk to you!"

The demanding sound of her voice caused Goten to open his eyes and turn around to the voice of the speaker. Standing there in her blue t-shirt and white capris was indeed Marron, her blonde hair whipping in her face from the cool breeze around them. The Demi-Saiyan looked at her in awe.

"Why did you come back?" He whispered.

"Why wouldn't I have?" Marron replied, her head tilted slightly.

"I thought you...and Trey--?" Goten could find the strength in his voice to continue.

"You're so silly sometimes," Marron said sternly, but a gentle smile was on her face, "Trey and I were through a long time ago. There's nothing between us." She ran a hand through her golden hair.

Goten frowned, "He said there was, though."

"Well, he's a dumbass," Marron said at once, her voice sterner than before. "Goten, did you really think I'd leave you forever?"

_Yes. _"I thought after what happened back there...that we were..."

"Through? Goten," Marron sighed and smiled, "You should know better."

"What?" He cocked his head in confusion.

"You were right. You and I are bound together forever; it was wrong of me to fight with you like that," She blushed and her eyes cast downward.

"But--" Goten paused, his eyes losing the tenseness they had earlier, "--You don't have to be with me, Marron. The fruit doesn't mean we have to live together, or even date...," His voice seemed to falter, as the reality of what he said hit him full force.

Marron looked up at him, her eyes the bluest he'd ever seen, "The fruit doesn't matter to me, Goten. I still want to be with you."

There was a moment of silence as another raindrop fell on Goten's nose. His eyes were wide in disbelief as he walked closer to her. _After all that..she still wants to be with me? _

"But--but--," he tried to think of any excuse to use, _why would she want to be with me? _"--But Trey and you were together a year...you've only been with me for less than a _WEEK_, Marron!" He said finally, certainty in his voice that she'd realize how mad this was.

Marron's cheeks were pink, but her eyes were still that crystal blue as she said slowly,

"It just took me a year to figure out that we weren't meant to be," She reached out and grasped Goten's hand, "And a week to know that _we _were."

The raindrops hit his cheeks as well as his nose. He stared down at her smiling face as if this was the first time he'd truly seen her as more than just Marron, or just a woman...as something _more _than that...

They were on the edge of the volcano, when something clicked in Goten's mind. He looked down at her with his brow furrowed, "Marron," He said in a confused voice. "How...how did you get here?"

She had waited for him to ask her that, and was amazed it'd taken him this long to realize it. Marron gave him a crooked smirk and pointed downwards, "Have you not taken your eyes off my face long enough to see for yourself?"

Goten looked down and gave a silent gasp. Marron wasn't even touching the ledge of the volcano, she was floating beside it, her face smiling widely as the Demi-Saiyan stared speechless at her. Goten's eyes looked from her feet levitating in the air, to her face, back to her feet, and then to her face again. All the while, Marron's smile grew larger.

"You--you---you," Goten stuttered, his eyes wide in surprise.

"Why so shocked?" Marron said in a playful giggle, "You always said I could..."

Within a second she flew into his arms, and he grabbed her by the arms, holding her tight against his chest, screaming at the top of his lungs,

"_YOU DID IT_! YOU _DID _IT MARRON, YOU _FLEW_!" He screamed with joy as he twirled around and around on the ledge, slowly working his way back from the edge of the volcano. "I TOLD YOU THAT YOU COULD DO IT, MARRON!" He yelled happily, hugging her so hard she had to push herself away from him so she could breathe.

"Goten...," She whispered softly, as he held her above his head, so that her blonde hair draped into his face and onto his shoulder.

Suddenly a rain cloud burst open, cold raindrops falling onto the two below. Goten and Marron's eyes locked for a moment, her aqua eyes meeting his almost black pools and taking in all that had happened to them in the last week in a single blink.

Not caring that they were getting soaked to the bone, or that they were on top of a volcano in the middle of nowhere, the two slowly leaned in towards each other. Goten lifted Marron so that she was even with his face and pressed his mouth against her soft lips and kissed her as he had never kissed anyone before.

Marron wrapped her arms around Goten's neck as he squeezed her to him, the two kissing passionately as the fat raindrops drizzled down their faces and onto their clothes, soaking them within seconds, but neither cared. The warmth that they shared as their lips touched conquered any cold from the rain.

At last, they realized that their arguements hadn't broken them up, merely brought them closer to one another. Seeing their differences tying them tighter to each other, and their similarities strenghtening their bond they had formed, Goten and Marron realized that this was not just a date, or a fling. This was love, in its purest essance and form. It somehow seemed that they'd been meant to be from the start, meant for one another...as if by fate or destiny, neither knew.But those were small inconsequential details.

"Goten," Marron whispered, breaking their kiss for a second, "I don't know if I've told you this, but I love you."

The Demi-Saiyan smiled and kissed her again, smiling as he did this time, "I know, Marron. I love you too."

_**Okay, yah, it was sappy, I know...maybe too sappy for DBZ, but hey! I had to end this chapter this way! No doubts about it! I wrote this chapter with no trouble at ALL, which was so relieving...the last couple of chapters have practically KILLED me to write!**_

_**Well, I hope everyone liked the return of Master Roshi! LOL, I know I did! ha ha ha, so fun to write! It's going to be a blast getting him involved in the next couple of chapters! WOOT!**_

_**Speaking of which, Next chapter, Trunks goes to his Alcoholic's Unnamed meeting! LOL, sounds like fuuuuuunnn...Yeah right! Anywhoo, and Goten prepares for one of the biggest decisions of his LIFE! Know what I'm thinking of? Bwahahahahahahahaha! wait and see!**_

_**Well, you guys have been so wonderful and supportive of me and there's no way I can thank you enough! -Hugs and kisses to ALL OF YOU! YOU GUYS ROCK SO MUCH!- LOL, I am so grateful for all the comments, reviews, and support from each and every one of you and I couldn't ask for better fans! Thanks so much and I hope you like the chapters that are yet to come...I've been waiting to write these upcoming chapters FOR SOME TIME NOW! And finally, I'm going to get the chance to get them wrote! YAYNESS!**_

_**Well, ciao for now! Peace out and Rock ROCK ON!**_

_**Romania Black**_


	26. Day Seven, Alcoholic's Unnamed

The Taming of the Saiyan

By Romania Black

_**Hey dudes and dudettes! What's shakin'? I'm so happy with the reviews from the last chapter! Glad everyone liked it! And how about Roshi comin' back into the picture? I saw the first episode of GT the other day online and saw Roshi in it and realized that last chapter would be a PERFECT opportunity for him to make his comeback! And I'm so glad I chose to do it then, it'll work out wonderfully in the chapters to come! YAYNESS!**_

_**Note: Another long chapter! Hoorah! YAY! This chapter could even be longer than the current longest one, Chapter 19! WOOT!**_

_**Of course, we're still rated T for TEEN, due to mild violence, mild sexual themes, brief language, and the reference and consumption of alcohol plus a minor reference to a drug substance in this chapter alone...just to give you all a heads-up!**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own anything of Akira Toriyama! But if he wants to use any of my ideas...GO FOR IT! **_

_**Reviews:**_

**_Sinful Sakura: yay adventures indeed! LOL, a little fluffiness in stories is okay at times, eh? Thanks so much for the review! I hope you like this chapter too! Trust me, Trunks has a lot of FUN in this chapter! Ha ha ha ha..._**

**_Witch of Erie Knoll: Hey thanks for the review! I'm glad they're back together! And Marron can fly! YAY! -rereads review- AH! Vegeta, don't knock her out! She still has to finish her own fic! -Get's glared at by Vegeta- Uhhh...anywhoo, I hope you like the rest of the story! -Spots Vegeta again, and runs away-_**

**_CheyaAngel: LOL, glad you liked Roshi comin' back! I was wondering how it'd go over with everyone! And thanks for the review! I like happy endings too, but this story is FAR from over! LOL! Yeah, if you want to, send me a pic of your character...I can't guarantee anything, but I'm veeeerrry interested to see what she looks like! LOL, I'll update as soon as I can! Enjoy the story! _**

**_Kumori Ookami: yay! Another person glad that Roshi's back! WOOT! I missed him too, and he's so funny to write about..the old perv! LOL, you can expect A LOT more of him later! I know it was sappy...ah, but oh well! A little bit of it sometimes is healthy for us all! -reads review- Me? Evil? BWAHAHAHAHA...are you kidding? LOL, I know I am at times, and I was looking forward to this chapter for so long! I hope you like it! Thanks for the review and enjoy the chapter! _**

_**Well, I won't take any more of your time and let you get on with reading the next chapter! Thanks A MILLION for all the reviews you guys! I love ya! Please don't hesitate to send me a comment or review! I'm open to all suggestions! Thanks you guys! PEACE OUT AND ROCK ROCK ON!**_

_**Enjoy the Story!**_

_**Romania Black**_

Chapter Twenty-Six: Day Seven, Alcoholic's Unnamed

Trunks shook his head violently; there was no way he was going..._no way on EARTH he was going to some stupid meeting with a bunch of drunks..._Trunks was not a drunk! At least not in his own opinion.

Bulma gave her son a tense and extremely annoyed look, "Son, you are going and that's final!" She stamped her foot to the ground in demand.

The Demi-Saiyan gazed at the gesture with an amused face, he wasn't used to seeing his mother so assertive. He allowed the amused look to vanish and a frown take its place, "Mom, this is so _stupid_...I'm not an alcoholic!"

"Maybe not now, but at the rate you're going--" Bulma huffed.

"_The rate I'm going?" _Trunks breathed in disbelief, "Can you hear yourself talk? It was just a couple of drinks--"

"Every day! Soon it turns into more than a couple, Trunks, and then you find yourself dependent on them--"

"Bull," Trunks' eyes flashed, "I've never been dependent on liquor and I've been--" Trunks suddenly shut himself up, realizing he was letting out information that could do more harm than good.

"You've been _what_?" Bulma's nostrils flared, "How long have you been drinking, son?"

"As long as it was legal," Trunks replied quickly, but his face was notibably redder. Bulma eyed him skeptically. "This is dumb, mom. I'm not going," his voice expressed a certain finality that seemed to stop his mother in her place. It was her turn for her face to turn redder.

Vegeta walked nonchalantly into the kitchen as the two sat in silence, glaring at one another. The Saiyan glanced at the two out of the corner of his eye as he opened the fridge up, taking out a carton of milk and laying it on the table.

"Trunks, I just want what's best for you!" She pleaded, turning to her husband. "And so does your father! Right, Vegeta?" She glanced at him, waitng for an answer.

The Saiyan Prince wasn't paying any attention, however. Instead, he was rumaging through the fridge, intent on finding something. Bulma sighed, and placed her head in the palm of her hand as a gesture of hopelessness and disappointment towards her husband.

Trunks smiled slyly, and scratched his chin, "It's okay mom, I'll cut back on the liquor, but I'm not going to that meeti--"

"_WHERE THE HELL IS THE SAKI!" _Vegeta roared, his head popping out of the fridge in anger.

Bulma stared at her husband blankly, while Trunks felt the insides of his stomach twist a little. He'd just remembered that he'd drank all the saki the other night. He tried to turn in his seat, so his father couldn't see his reddening face. Bulma gave Vegeta an annoyed look.

"Honey, what are you talking about?"

"The saki, woman!" The Saiyan shouted, trying to push bottles and containers out of the way.

"You drank it the other night," Bulma reminded him. _Maybe it's HIM that needs to go to the meeting! _"You told me you drank it at lunch yesterday."

"But I had two bottles!" Vegeta complained in a slightly whinier voice than usual. "I was sure I had another stashed back here...," He rumaged some more, his voice cutting off.

Bulma sighed, "Maybe there was just one, dear. Are you sure there were two?"

"Damn it, woman, I can COUNT _JUST FINE_!" He roared, seeing Bulma cower for a second in recoil and Trunks' forehead gathering sweat. Suddenly, The Saiyan's eyes fell on his son, "Trunks! Did you see my saki in here?"

Trunks felt his stomach straddle the bottom of his chair, "Dad...I don't really recall..."

"DID YOU DRINK _MY _SAKI, BOY!" Vegeta screamed, the fridge door slamming shut.

Bulma spun around in her seat and the two parents cornered their son. "Trunks, did you really?" Bulma breathed in shock.

"I...uh...I," Trunks knew they'd figure it out shortly, "I...might have..."

Vegeta twitched in his spot, a large vein popping out on his forehead, but he held his silence. Bulma on the other hand, burst out, her face red with fury. "OH _DID _YOU NOW?" She screeched, "Well, that settles it! This is _too _much!" She folded her hands in her lap, "You are _GOING _to that meeting today!"

"Mom, I don't need to--"

"_YOU HEARD YOUR MOTHER, BOY_!" Vegeta roared, and Trunks involuntarily cowered in his seat. "You are going to that meeting, I don't care how stupid or ridiculous you feel there...you will attend every last minute of it and then you are to come home!" He crossed his arms in anger.

Trunks found he could do nothing but nod to this.

"And when you get home, son," And to this Vegeta's voice raised a level and his face formed an evil smile. Not a good sign for Trunks, "You are going to get a good sparring excercise from your father as punishment for willingly taking my saki!"

Vegeta was not one to admit such a thing, but he'd actually grown fond of the drink. It was one of the few earthly pleasures he indulged in other than his family and training. Of course, Bulma didn't ever get any of it when she went shopping because it was liquor. Vegeta had to get it himself, and he hated shopping, so the less trips he had to make the better. And now this boy had ruined his chance of not having to shop for another week or two. He was going to pay for that mistake in more ways that _one_...

"Understood?" The two parents said simultaneously.

Trunks hung his head,_ this was so pointless_..."Yeah, _fine_. I'll _go_."

Goten lifted his head from the pillow with a sigh, turning over to stare at the person next to him. Marron's face was facing him, but her eyes were closed and droopy, drool hanging out the corner of her mouth. He had to smile at her, she looked so simple and perfect laying beside him, lost in dreams.

He couldn't exactly remember what happened in the events that followed their kiss on the volcano, he'd been so swept up with her, but the fact that he was under the covers and she was on top of them seemed like a decent sign. He stared over at the clothes rack beside the closet door, where their wet clothes had been hung and smiled, remembering the kiss.

He also remembered shuffling past Roshi as they came in. The old hermit had gave the couple a smirk and a scandalous look of assumption, but Goten didn't care what Roshi assumed. _Let the old man think all he wants...it doesn't matter_, Goten thought with a smile. He leaned back and saw out the open doorway that the master of martial arts was sleeping quietly on the couch, several pin up posters and magazines lying about his feet. Goten had to chuckle to himself..._crazy old man...What a nut..._

Goten returned to staring at Marron, and stretched the collar of his shirt around his neck. It slowly dawned on him what he wanted to do...what he _needed _to do...but he couldn't even comprehend on where to begin to do it with. He stared at her, the reasons for his desired action stacking up into endless piles. There was more reasons in his head to even count. _That's it...I have to do this...today..._

Trunks was grumpy the entire way he flew towards where the AU meeting was to be held. He hated this; it was so useless to him.

_So what do I do? Listen to a bunch of alkie testimonies and then go home? Or do I have to do the whole 'say your name' then say you're an alcoholic...I don't have time for this! I could be...I could be..., _He paused and then frowned_, I could be doing something! Anything other than this!_

The Demi-Saiyan flew further into the city, his mother's written directions in a crumpled piece of paper clutched in his fist. He turned left as the paper instructed him, and then saw a tall brick building over the horizon. He looked back down at the directions. They mentioned a building that looked like that, but how can he know that's the one?

Then he noticed the name cast in iron letters across the front of the brick building, bearing the logo CORRECTIONAL ADDICTIONS DEPT. and the large white banner strung across its front marquee that was labeled ALCOHOLIC'S UNNAMED ASSOCIATION MEETING. Trunks' eyes grew wide, reading the banner's logo. _You have got to be kidding me..._

Trunks landed onto the walkway in front of the building. He couldn't believe that the place was marked up so...openly.

_If anyone I know sees me near this place..._He groaned at the thought of his fellow employees spying him near the place and felt a cold sweat on his cheeks. He flipped the collar of his CAPSULE CORP jacket up and felt thoroughly relieved that he'd remembered to bring shades to wear to block the sun. He pushed the sunglasses further up his nose and smiled grimly, remembering his disguise from a few days prior.

_At least this one may be a little less noticable..._

Realizing he had to do this or have his father to face, he held his head up high and walked proudly towards the building. _He may be humiliated by this experience, but darn it, he'd face it proud...like his father would have._

He strolled into the front lobby and saw a perky appearing red head look at him from the service desk. She smiled brightly at him with artificially whitened teeth and a blue uniform, holding out a pamphlet towards him.

"Hello there," She said with a happier voice than any human should have posessed, "Are you here for the meeting today?"

_Why else would I be here? _"Yes," Trunks replied, trying to be curtious.

"How nice," The red head replied with a bubbly voice, "Here is a free pamphlet curtiousy of Alcohoic's Unnamed Associate of Reform," She pressed the brochure into his hand.

_Great, remind me why I'm here..._ Trunks frowned, taking the pamphlet with slight hesitance.

"The meeting is being held down the hall. You're just in time," The red head said, pointing her finger towards the hallway in front of him. There was a clearly marked sign with an arrow pointing to a door that was labeled MEETING ROOM.

Trunks eyed the woman with slight disgust. _Is this an alcoholic's meeting or a mental institution? _"Uh, yeah, I see it," Trunks mumbled, his manners starting to leave him.

"Okay, then! Have fun!" The bouncy red head beamed and waved.

Trunks tried to smile at her as he walked on, but he already felt like he shouldn't be there. He walked down the hallway and imagined a million different things in his mind, each thought becoming more twisted than the next. He reached the black door and held his hand on the handle, staring at the cream colored walls, deciding whether he should enter or just leave.

_Would Vegeta know if he'd gone to the meeting or not? _His father's face flashed into his mind for a split second and he felt his cheeks burn. _Yep...he'd know..._

Trunks gently squeezed the handle to the door and opened it, hoping it wouldn't be as bad as he thought it would.

The door opened with a loud snap, and the people already in the room shifted in their seats and immediately looked up at Trunks. Trunks felt awkward for more than one reason as soon as he stepped into the room. The walls were solid white, as well as the chairs. This made the Demi-Saiyan feel very conspicuous and have the urge to take a black marker and run up and down the sides of the walls with it. Not only that, but everyone in the room was staring hungrily at him, something he found annoying and that made him seem vulnerable.

Trunks walked slowly across the room's length to the circle of people gathered around an empty chair. Trunks didn't like the fact that the chair was in the middle and no one was sitting in it. It meant he'd probably be in that chair at some point. The Demi-Saiyan sat down in the first chair that was unoccupied that he saw and twiddled his thumbs, ignoring the obvious stare from everyone else.

"Greetings," Said a thin woman on his right with large black hornrimmed glasses. She looked guant, as if alcoholism wasn't her only disorder. She gave him an aplogetic smile, "I'm sorry, I didn't get your name on the sign up sheet. You are?"

Trunks didn't really feel like saying his name out loud. It might get his family a bad rep. "Uhm...It's...," _You sound stupid, man! Just make up a name! Any name! _His mind flashed into a memory of his past.

When they were younger, Goten and Trunks would make up names for each other, as if they'd been born into the other's family.

_"So Trunks, what do you think my name would be if I was a Briefs?" Goten asked with his usual childish grin._

_"Hmmm," Trunks pondered this for a second, "I guess I'd have to say it'd be Vegeta Jr...or Trugeta..or...," He paused and looked at Goten, "I honestly don't know! Maybe Bultunk! HA ha ha," He laughed._

_Goten scowled, "Come on! That's a silly name!" He smirked, "But I do like the Trugeta one..that was cool!"_

_"Yeah," Trunks wiped his eyes, still smiling, "So what about me, huh? What if I was a Son?" He knew if his father even caught him thinking such a thing he'd be grounded, but they were far enough away it didn't matter._

_"Geez, Trunks, I don't know...I guess something like Goken or Govin or something..."_

_"Hmmm," Trunks looked pensive again, "I think I like the Govin one...reminds me of dad and your dad mixed together or something.."_

_"Yeah," Goten smiled that famous Son smile, "But I thought Vegetto was more of that."_

_"Speaking of fusions," Trunks started, a sly smile rising to his face, "How's about Gotenks makes an appearance, eh?"_

_Goten jumped up, "Really? Sounds fun!" Him and Trunks smiled, thinking of all the pranks they could pull in one afternoon as the fusion Gotenks..._

"Sir?" The gaunt woman asked, nudging him slightly with her ballpoint pen. "Your name?"

Realizing everyone was staring at him, Trunks smiled casually and tried to look calm, "Oh, sorry about that...My name is...Govin."

"Ah," The woman said in a relieved voice. "Hello, Govin," She smiled.

The other crowd members, about fifteen in all smiled as well, but they were more implied false smiles. It was obvious they didn't want to smile. Trunks shifted uncomfortably in his seat. The group was made up of mostly people that looked like they belonged there. Their eyes were bloodshot on several individuals, and the smell of whiskey was very prevelent on one burly man's breath sitting next to Trunks. He was starting to like this arrangement less and less.

The guant woman, who had a soft and pleasant voice, scratched her chin with the end of her pen. "Now that we're all here and introduced to myself, I am Dr. Lilian Woo, and this is one of our typical counseling meetings. We're gathered here today to discuss--

_Sounds like the preacher at a wedding, _Trunks thought to himself.

"--the obsession and addiction to alcohol all of us have today. It's alright to admit your problems," She raised her bony arms into the air, "We're all the same here! Everyone of us has a story to tell, and I would appreciate it if everyone shared their name and story to the group so we can get to know each other." She lowered her arms and pulled from a large black duffel bag a notebook. She opened it up and wrote something unreadable from Trunks' angle onto the first page.

_All of us get up and talk? _Trunks thought with a slight tense nervousness_, How long are we gonna be here?_

"Okay, now first, let's have you come up sir," She pointed to the burly man who smelled badly of whiskey. "Come into the chair here," She pointed to the empty chair in the middle, "And tell us about yourself."

_Knew it, _Trunks thought with a knowing smirk as the large man with a thick grayish black beard strode to the empty seat and plopped down in it with a loud THUMP! He gazed with bloodshot eyes to the group and his voice boomed loudly,

"My name is Erol, and I'm an alcoholic!" He said in a loud voice that made Trunks' ears hurt. The others nodded their head with a grimace, "Hello, Erol," They repeated. The burly man stroked his beard and smiled a grin that was missing several teeth. "I came here a month ago cuz I knew I had problems with my drinkin'."

_Looks like he still has a problem, _Trunks had to force himself very hard not to say this out loud, supressing his voice with a hand to his mouth.

"I knew these meetin's been good for me. I've cut down on me drinkin' almost to a quart a week!" He said with a proud redneckish accent, getting up from his seat and heading back to his original spot. Several people applauded him as he took his seat.

_If he's cut down, I'd hate to see what he was drinking origianally..._Trunks thought as Dr. Woo finished writing in her notebook. She looked up and scanned the gathering through her thick black frames.

"Alright...thank you Erol. Who's next? Any volunteers?" No one raised their hands or stood up. "Very well then," She said in a slightly frustrated tone, "You there, ma'am, come up and say your name." She pointed to a pretty blonde with hazel eyes that came to the middle seat shyly.

Trunks stared at her for a moment. She was shy and meek, but very pretty. He'd never expected to see someone that perfect looking have a drinking problem. He stared at her as she took her seat, and it was plain to see everyone else there had the same thought on their mind as Trunks.

"Uhm, hello," The blonde said in a shy voice. "My name is Lita."

"Hello Lita," The group said with a small smile.

"Errr..yes," She blushed and looked at the floor. "Well, I've been an alcoholic for a little while now..."

"How long, Lita?" Dr. Woo asked suddenly, her eyes narrowed slightly.

"What? Uh...not that long," Lita answered, her cheeks still pink.

"My dear, you have to be honest with the group," She said in a motherly tone. Trunks felt slightly guilty as she said this.

"I am being honest!" The blonde perked her head up, her hazel eyes lit up in anger.

"No, dear, you're not. You've been coming to these meetings for the last year! Now tell the truth!" The woman was not being harsh, merely coaxing. Dr. Woo stared at her for an answer as Lita's face turned bright red.

The blonde stood up in a rage of fury and threw back her blonde hair, "_YOU SHUT UP YOU FILTHY LITTLE TRAMP_! I AM NOT AN ALCOHOLIC, _OKAY_? I AM _NOT_! SO JUST SHUT YOUR TRAP YOU WICKED, NASTY, _WHORE_!" Lita threw her chair up into the air, which bounced back onto the ground miraculously not hitting anyone. She stormed out of the room, her blonde hair swishing behind her.

The group sat in silence, a few wanting to clap, but deciding not to. Trunks' mouth was gaped open in surprise.

"Uh-huh," Dr. Woo said in a huff, "As you can see, some people are just in denial. That's what these meetings are for. To get rid of that denial and to help you face your problems. She's been a tragic case of mine the last year," Dr. Lilian Woo sighed and made a note on her pad of paper, then turned towards another face, calling them up.

_Geez,_ Trunks thought wide-eyed, _This is insane! What next?_

"Hey," This man was middle aged, his hair in gray dread locks that looked dead. He gave the group a crooked grin, "Sup? My name is Creale...and uhm...ya, this is like, my eighth meeting here and I gotta say that if I hadn't started here when I did, I'd still be hooked on heroine...and uhm..."

"Mr. Creale, this is the Alcoholic's Unnamed meeting, sir," Dr. Woo said, looking as though she wanted to surpress a laugh.

"It is? Damn," Creale said, raising a hand behind his head, "Well...I guess I've drank some too..."

Trunks had to straddle his chair with his hands to keep himself from laughing. This was too much...this was more than bizarre, it was wild, insane and too ate up for him! _Oh my gosh...no way...this...wow...why am I even here? _The Demi-Saiyan wanted to laugh so hard it was almost unbearable.

"Mr. Creale, feel free to sit back down. The Drug Addicts meeting isn't until next week by the way," She said as she finished writing another note down, humor sparkling in her dark eyes as she finished writing.

The man returned to his seat, his gray dreadlocks shaking and twisting as he walked. He gave a goofy smile and sat down. Trunks had to resist the urge to stare at him. _How much more of this?_ The Demi-Saiyan wondered, trying his hardest not to laugh at it all.

Meanwhile, Goten slid past Roshi on the couch and slowly made his way out the door. It'd taken every bit of patience and concentration he had to get out of bed and get dressed without Marron or Roshi noticing anything. He carefully opened the door and creeped outside of it, making certain that he ddin't catch his dark blue shirt or orange gi pants on the door handle, which for Goten was a typical thing for him to do.

The sun was bright overhead, it looked like it was going to be an awesome day, as far as the Demi-Saiyan could see. Goten slid his hands behind his head and stretched. He knew what he had to do today, and he was more determined and focused about this decision than anything he'd possibly ever decided upon. But he had to get some help from his best friend...just this once if never again...

Vegeta sat at the table with a stubborn look cast on his face. The dumb boy had drank all of his saki, and now that ridiculous wife of his wasn't letting him go get some more.

"Woman, I demand that you let me out of this house!" Vegeta roared, staring at his wife, who was fixing lunch.

"Vegeta, I'm not letting you go to the store today just to buy more liquor," She slapped some mayonnaise on his sandwhich. "There's no reason for it. We're supposed to be setting an example for our son, remember?"

"The boy doesn't need the saki, but I _do_," Vegeta said irritated, "The one thing I actually _enjoy _on this planet, and you refuse to let me have it!"

"That's just how life is, honey," Bulma said, her back to him, but he could tell she was smirking or smiling or something stupidly annoying.

_Just how life is? _Vegeta thought with a sneer_. Who does she think she is? This is pathetic! I'm the Prince of Saiyans! _

"Woman, I'm going to the store now!" He commanded, standing up fiercely. "That is final!"

Bulma stopped and placed her hands on her hips, giving him a rough glare. "Oh, is that what you think?" She said, her eyes widening.

Vegeta smirked, "Yes, woman, it is! Now, you will hand me that lunch---"

**_CRASH!_**

****The Saiyan looked in shock as the plate with his food came flying off the counter and smashing on the ground. His sandwhich and rise lay strewn across the kitchen floor, while millions of bits of china plate lay in crumbles scattered with the food.

Vegeta's eyes were wide in shock as he looked up towards his wife, who had a devilish grin on her face.

"_WHAT ON EARTH IS WRONG WITH YOU, WOMAN?" _Vegeta roared, pointing to the broken dish on the floor, "THAT WAS MY _LUNCH_!"

"Of course it was," Bulma said evilly. "And that was also the last of the mayonnaise and deli meat."

"_WHAT_?" Vegeta stared at the wilted remains of his favorite lunch. "WHY---_WHY _WOULD YOU--?"

"I'll go to the store afterwhile and get some more," Bulma said, crossing her arms, "Not you."

Vegeta found he was shaking in fury. _She--she--she did that just so I wouldn't be able to---CURSE HER!_

"Woman, I--" Just as Vegeta was about to chew her out as the lousiest and most pathetic creature on the planet--

**_KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!_**

****"Oh," Bulma sighed in surprise. She hadn't expected company.

"Good Lord, what _now_?" Vegeta breathed, still seething with anger at his wife.

Bulma rushed to the door and opened it up quickly, not expecting to see who was there. "Oh!" She gasped. Vegeta sneered. Standing at the doorway was a figure in dark blue and orange gi pants. "Come in, Goten!" Bulma said with a surprised look, ushering the Demi-Saiyan into the kitchen. Vegeta's fists were clenched as the guest walked into the room.

"Thanks, Bulma," Goten replied a little nervously, walking into the kitchen. He looked over at Vegeta. The Saiyan's knuckles were white, his eyes angry. Goten sighed to himself, _Glad to see Vegeta's happy to see me...as usual..._

"Not a problem, Goten," Bulma smiled, her gaze turning to Vegeta. "Look, dear," She said as if he hadn't noticed Goten enter the room, "We have a guest." She smiled an evil smile.

_If she actually thinks I'm going to greet him...she's got another thing coming to her! _"I can see that!" Vegeta bellowed.

"Did you realize you dropped something?" Goten burst in, pointing to the broken plate on the ground.

Bulma sighed, "Yes, Goten. I'm sorry, I need to clean that up." She gave Vegeta a very evil stare.

"It's alright," Goten waved his hand to let her know it was okay, "I was just here to see Trunks."

"Oh," Bulma said with a small smile, "He's not here, Goten. He went to a meeting actually." She bent down to start picking up the pieces of broken china. Vegeta snorted in anger. Goten decided not to ask about why the plate was broken.

"What kind of meeting?" The Demi-Saiyan asked curiously. He thought Trunks was free today and tommorrow.

Bulma looked up at him, a startled look on her face. She hadn't expected him to actually _ask _what kind of meeting it was.

A cold smile appeared on her husband's face as he looked down at her, "He's at an Alcoholic's Unnamed meeting." Vegeta said bluntly.

"WHAT?" Goten's eyes grew wide.

"_VEGETA_!" Bulma's face turned bright red. She hadn't wanted to say anything about her son's whereabouts.

"Excuse me?" The Saiyan Prince smirked. "You're the one that signed him up for it, claiming he's a drunk all the time.."

"Well he does drink more than he should!" Bulma objected. "Goten, you know Trunks..." She turned to the Demi-Saiyan.

Goten shrugged, "Trunks drinks, but so do I. It's nothing uncommon," He gave her a slightly confused look. "We're old enough, it's okay."

Bulma stared at Goten in horror. Vegeta wanted to laugh so hard in her face, that he barely resisted doing so while the brat was there. He'd wait until Kakarot's son had left before rubbing it in her face that she'd made a mistake sending her son to such a convention.

_Oh yes, revenge is sweet... _Vegeta thought, staring down at his wife, who looked a lot more pitiful.

"Ha ha," Goten allowed himself to smile, "Trunks at an Alcholic's convention...this I gotta see!" He turned towards the door, but twisted around to look down at Bulma. "Need any help?" He pointed to the scattered pieces of plate.

Bulma shook her head, feeling defeated, "No, Goten. Thanks, though..." She could tell her husband was grinning without even looking up at him.

"Okay," The Demi-Saiyan waved, "Well, I'm off to go and see Trunks...at this meeting or whatever...thanks Bulma! Uh," He gave Vegeta an odd glance, "Uh...and thanks...Vegeta?" He said with a little nervousness.

The Saiyan growled, but didn't feel like giving the boy too much heat. He had brought his wife's esteem level down for him...he did owe him that.

"Get out of here," The prince sneered.

Goten wasted no time listening to the Saiyan, "Sure! See you guys!" He turned and took off into the air.

Vegeta stared down at his wife, who was giving him an apologetic look, and prepared to give her the worst ass-chewing of her life.

Trunks gripped his seat with his hands, which were starting to feel numb. Four more people had gone up, each one worst than the last. Sob stories, dimwits, and one man that seemed reasonable. He just had a drinking problem. Trunks was thankful he was not the only sane person in here. However, the majority of the people in the room looked like they'd missed the train to the right meeting. It seemed drinking wasn't their main problem.

The thin Dr. Woo tapped the tip of her ebony horn-rimmed glasses with her long red fingernail and finished writing on her notepad before turning to the rest of us. She checked her notebook, and then her eyes met with Trunks. The Demi-Saiyan felt his heart skip a beat.

"You sir, are next," She said politely, motioning towards the empty chair.

Trunks turned around to see if anyone was behind him she'd meant to say this to. Seeing no one but himself, he understood that his time had come. He stood up slowly and felt all eyes shift to his every movement. Striding steadily towards the empty seat, Dr. Woo introducted him in a way different than the others.

"This guest is a first-timer," The doctor said with a curtious smile, "Let's all give him special attention since it's his first time here."

_That's just what I need, _Trunks thought, feeling his cheeks seering_, Special attention...I don't even want to be here!_

Everyone's eyes rested on the Demi-Saiyan as he took his seat. He smiled grimly and cleared his throat, not sure if he could do this.

"Uh...my name is...Govin," Trunks almost forgot about his made up name. He adjusted the sunglasses on his face so that no one could see his crystal eyes. He felt nervous all of a sudden.

"Hi, Govin," The monotonous chant of the crowd replied.

"Ahem, yeah," Trunks felt like his neck was exposed, so he flipped the collar of his jacket up more. "Well, I'm not sure really if I should be here." Which was true, he didn't think he needed to be here at all.

There were several audible mumblings from the circle around him; many of the faces didn't look approving. Dr. Woo raised a hand to silence them,

"Please everyone! Keep in mind this is his first time here! We were all in his shoes before. Now," She faced Trunks, who was certain his cheeks were pink, "young man, I realize that in many cases such as this, there is denial--"

"Actually," Trunks tried to break her off, "I didn't plan on--"

"--that surfaces first." Dr. Woo said without letting him cut in, "But understand it's okay to admit your problems. That's the first step."

"But it's not really a problem for me," Trunks attempted to explain. "I really didn't want to come here."

"That's natrual to think," the doctor stared at him with intense brown eyes. "Then why did you come here?"

Trunks felt more embarassed then before, "I was forced to by my relatives," He mumbled, crossing his arms.

"You're parents made you come?" One of the group members chuckled. The others followed suit.

As the Demi-Saiyan's face turned bright red, Dr. Woo tapped her pen to her notebook angrily, "Stop it!" She said with a stern voice. The group silenced. "It doesn't matter how he came here," She turned to Trunks, "All that matters is that he's here and we will give him equal respect. Clear?" The group members nodded their head, but didn't seem open to the idea.

"I'll admit I do drink a lot," Trunks said slowly, his voice rising from the silence.

"Good," The doctor smiled appreciatively, "Admitting is the first step."

"But I'm not an alcoholic," Trunks explained, and the doctor sighed hopelessly. The group went into an uproar again.

"COME ON!" One woman shouted, her frizzy pink hair tied up with a hankerchief, "Quit lyin'!"

Trunks gave the woman a stern look, "But I'm--"

"You can admit it, man," Said another.

"Yeah, come on, give us a break! We're all here for the same reason!"

"Admit it! You're an alcoholic!"

"DO IT! SAY IT!" The group chanted, standing up from their seats. Trunks had to rise to his feet to keep from getting smothered by the large circle of drunks. Dr. Woo stood up, her face looking frantic.

"Please, calm down everyone!" She raised her long thin arms to try and control the group, but there were too many for her to stop. "Son," She gave Trunks a fleeting look, "Just admit that you're an alcoholic."

"But I'm not!" Trunks resisted one man's arm from grasping the collar of his jacket.

"I DON'T CARE IF YOU ARE OR NOT, _DO IT_!" She screamed as she was shoved from the circle.

Trunks didn't want to hurt anyone today, but the group was screaming, shouting, and he was sure the one man named Erol was trying to punch him in the face. "Darn liar!" He could hear Erol bellow. "Ain't gonna admit his problems...cowardly! Come on, son! Admit it!" Trunks didn't want to do this, but the burly man was practically trying to lob his head off.

Dodging a punch from Erol, Trunks reared his arm back and connected it with the large man's face. Erol received the blow and flew back against the wall, creating a large cracked hole in its stead, half of Erol in the wall and the other half on the floor. Clearly, he was unconcscious. Trunks realized he shouldn't have punched him that hard, and the next thing he knew Dr. Woo was screaming for the group to settle down at the top of her lungs, another woman was screeching for help, and the rest were trying to mob Trunks.

_My GOSH! _Trunks thought, trying to wriggle his way out of the mass attempting to beat him to a pulp_, I thought all they did at these meetings were talk about their problems! Not beat the snot out of everyone that wasn't supposed to be here!_

"You all need to stop! This is getting ridiculous!" Dr. Woo roared, but no one was paying any attention to her.

Suddenly, one man's hand collided with Trunks' sunglasses and knocked them off his head. The Demi-Saiyan gasped in surprise as his shades broke into several pieces on the ground and the group around him collectively gasped as well. Trunks stared at the group, feeling more exposed than ever with his crystal eyes staring over everyone.

One man stepping in front of the group to face Trunks, pointed his thin finger at the Demi-Saiyan and laughed, "Hey! I know who you are!"

_Good God no! _"What?" Trunks tried to look innocent. "I don't think you do..."

"Wait!" Another voice came from the crowd surrounding him, "Aren't you the head of CAPSULE CORP?"

Trunks felt his face grow hotter and hotter, his cheeks now the deepest shade of crimson.

"It is," A woman's voice chimed in, "You're Trunks Briefs, aren't you?"

The Demi-Saiyan had never felt so embarrassed in all his life, as he tried to cover up the fact that he wasn't who he really was.

"N--no, I'm Govin," Trunks thought desperately, but the snickers and grins from the group members told him that they didn't buy the story at all.

"Yeah, right!" Said the one man pointing at him, "And I suppose next you'll tell us that your twin brother signed you up for all this--"

Just as he said these words, the doors to the Alcoholic's Unnamed meeting burst open and in walked the last person that Trunks would have ever expected to see at a time like this. Trunks had to let a smile rise to his face as his best friend came storming towards the group, who looked bewildered at their new guest.

"Who are you, sir?" Dr. Woo asked shakily, her hornrimmed glasses tilted crooked, making her look slightly less professional.

"My name's Goten," The Demi-Saiyan smiled at the doctor, "Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you as well, but why are you here, sir? The meeting started hours ago," She said with a slight snap.

Goten looked over to Trunks as if for a clue as to what he should say, and Trunks prayed that his friend was reading his mind at that moment,

_I told them my name is Govin, Goten! Please, _Trunks smiled apologetically_, Help me out of this one, man!_

The dark haired Demi-Saiyan smiled, as if they were truly on the same wavelength. He allowed the smile to linger before he started talking,

"Actually, I didn't come for the meeting. I came to pick up Govin, here."

The crowd and doctor let out a collective gasp. "What?" One of the drunks asked confused.

"Govin here is my brother," Goten smiled and gripped an arm around a relieved Trunks, as he started to lead him away from the stunned group.

"You're lying!" The woman who'd recognized Trunks called out. "You two don't look anything alike!" She screamed.

"Yeah, we get that a lot," Goten smiled guiltily, "Bunch 'a people think he looks like the head of CAPSULE CORP." Trunks had to surpress a laugh. He'd never seen Goten handle this sort of situation with the ease that he did.

"Sir, I'm sorry," Dr. Woo said nervously, bypassing the mortified look of alcoholic's, who seemed to have just realized they were beating up a guy like a mob for no real reason, "If there's any concerns with our organization--"

"No problem," Goten said at once, raising a hand to silence the woman, "It's my fault really." He gave Trunks a genuine smirk, "I signed him up for it in the first place."

The Demi-Saiyans left the group of dumbstruck drunks, arms across each other's arms, Trunks trying his hardest not to burst out laughing. Goten merely smiled as they left the room, the door shutting firmly behind them and silence from then on.

Trunks looked to his best friend, "I owe you sooo much, man!"

"I'd never seen one of those meetings before," Goten chuckled, "Are they all like that?"

"Good Lord, I hope not," Trunks sighed with exhaustion, walking past the reception desk where the bubbly red head was.

"Have a good day!" She said brightly.

"You too," Goten waved as they left the building. Trunks still seemed breathless, his jacket hanging off one shoulder, his face scuffed up a little. The Demi-Saiyan smirked as he saw Trunks pull his jacket back onto his shoulders and adjust it. "Had a bit of a scuffle in there, eh?"

"I didn't think it'd escalate that fast, to tell you the truth," Trunks said in a concerned voice. A moment of silence followed.

Goten smiled a very Goku-like smile, "Sooooo...Govin, are we?"

The other Demi-Saiyan burst into laughter, "Yeah! Like it?"

"It suits you," Goten said cheerily, "Luckily I read your thoughts this once...," He sighed and frowned slightly, "Marron suggested I not do that anymore...it's a little impersonal." He said, a childish quality to his voice.

"Well, for once, I'm glad you did," Trunks gave him a sideways glance, "How did you keep a straight face the whole time you were doin' that?"

"I just considered it like one of our old pranks," Goten said matter-of-factly, "Like the good ol' days."

"I'm glad none of the old days was like that one," Trunks said in an exhausted voice, his feet dragging as he walked.

"So did you knock the big dude out?" Goten said curiously, "I saw him against the wall--"

"Yeah, he tried to punch me," Trunks explained, smiling slightly.

"Wow," Goten stretched his hands behind his head, "Wish I could get forced to go to cool meetings like that more often..."

Trunks laughed, "Yeah, well I can guarantee I won't be going back to one of those for a while!"

"Oh, I think we should! Just for fun," Goten added, seeing the look on Trunks face he gave him. "You know? As a prank?"

Trunks smiled grimly, "How about we don't and tell everyone we did?"

"Okay," Goten said in a slightly defeated voice.

"How on earth did you find out I was here?" Trunks asked him suddenly, grazing a finger over a spot on his face where it was cut.

"Oh!" Goten suddenly remembered why he'd came to find Trunks. "Well, I went to your folks' house to find you and they told me you were here, so I showed up and asked the red head where the meeting was and she told me and then all that went down," He paused and caught his breath, because he'd said this all at once.

"Then why were you at my house to begin with?" Trunks asked curiously.

Goten allowed a smile to slowly appear on his face, "Well, Trunks, that's just it." He sighed and leaned towards Trunks' ear. "I've kind of made a decision. An important one."

"What? You're going to take more than one bath a week?" The lavender haired Demi-Saiyan smiled sarcastically.

"Nah, more important than that," Goten said eagerly. He whispered into Trunks' ear what he'd made his mind up about.

The Demi-Saiyan didn't say anything at first. He stared wide eyed at Goten, his mouth slightly open in surprise.

"Are you serious?" Trunks asked him with a mix of eagerness and disbelief. "Are you sure--I mean--Goten?"

"Yeah, that's what I thought you'd say," Goten smiled. Trunks gave him a shocked smile.

"Well, I mean...I knew eventually...but...NOW? Isn't that a little sudden?" He raised his eyebrows at his best friend.

"A little, I guess," Goten blushed, "But I've made up my mind and I want to know if you support me on this!"

"Of course I do," Trunks said with a seriousness to his voice. "So Marron doesn't--?"

"Not yet," Goten replied, finishing Trunks' sentence, "Tonight she'll know."

Trunks stared at his friend, "Wow...Goten...wow..."

"So if she does," Goten said mysteriously, "Will you?"

Trunks nodded his head without hesitation and slapped his hand with a high five,

"Is that even a question? GOTEN! You're--" He paused and shook with excitement, "--Well, maybe--but still!"

"Yeah," Goten smiled, the pink still in his cheeks. "Well, I guess my work here is done," He smiled back towards the building they'd just exited.

"Thanks, man," Trunks said in a more serious tone, thankful he had a best friend like Goten, "And good luck!" he gave Goten a thumbs-up.

"Thanks, Trunks," Goten smiled and returned the gesture, glad he had a friend as great as Trunks was, and took off into the air towards Roshi's.

He had business to attend to.

_**Wow, I LOOOOOOVED writing this chapter! More than the last one too! This was so much fun to write and I hope you enjoyed it too!**_

_**When I can, I like getting longer chapters into the story, they add so much to it...and give you more to read while you're waiting for the next update! LOL So I hope you enjoyed this and it'll keep you satisfied 'til next chapter! -crosses fingers-**_

_**Well, next chapter...all I'm saying is it's one I've waited to write since almost the beginning of the story, and I can't wait to get it to you! It's going to be so much fun to write! (I hope anyway!) **_

_**Thanks you guys for reading my story and being as supportive as you guys are! You will never know how much I appreciate all the support and suggestions you guys have given me! LOVE YA! ALL OF YA! Feel free to send me a comment, suggestion, or review...whatever ya want! Thanks so much! You all keep me writing this story! Thanks a million!**_

_**Peace out and ROCK ROCK ON!**_

_**Romania Black**_


	27. Day Seven, She Said Yes

The Taming of the Saiyan

By Romania Black

**_Well, here we are! Chapter Twenty-Seven! WOOT! OH YEAH! Why am I celebrating? Cuz I've been waiting to do this chapter for a while now! Well, since the beginning of the story almost, and now it's here! Yay! Don't worry, this is NOT the last chapter, but one I've been looking forward to...that's all! _**

_**As usual, rated T for TEEN, due to mild violence, alcohol referance and consumption, mild sexual themes, and brief language...**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own anything of Akira Toriyama! But if he wants to use any of my ideas...GO FOR IT! **_

_**Reviews:**_

**_Kumori Ookami: Thanks for the review! Yayness! My evilness is respected! bwahahahaha! That's good! LOL! Hmm..what do we think Goten's going to do? LOL LOL LOL is that a good "wow" or a bad "wow"? Well, Lita was a fun character, wasn't she? Only time will tell if Trunks ever runs into her again...we hope not anyway! Well, thanks for the review, and in this chapter you'll find out about what Goten's UP TO! Bwahahahahahaaha! Enjoy the story!_**

**_Witch of Erie Knoll: I know! I wish my meetings could go like that too! LOL! Maybe then they'd be exciting...LOL -rereads review- LMAO! HA HA HA HA! You'd better tell that cat not to delete that fic! You have to finish it still! I want to know the end! LOL Well, onto the story! Hope you like it! Thanks for the review! So funny!_**

**_Sinful Sakura: Awww! Thankies! I loved the last chapter too! The part where Trunks gets the urge to scribble all over the wall came from an experience I had with one of those rooms...I had to sit through a two hour meeting in a room like that...and one lone black sharpie on the white table screaming my name...I thought I'd go insane! That's where I got the idea for the chapter from! Anywhoo, I thought it was cute that Vegeta liked the saki so much and all! so funny! Well, you get to see what Goten's up to in this chapter, and I hope ya like it! Thanks so much for the review and enjoy the chapter! Hopefully it'll be a fave for you as well!_**

**_Mr. J Everyday: HA HA HA! Geez, I never thought of that! Well, he liked Lita...but we see how that went! LOL, I'm surprised he wasn't hit by a chair as well...hmmm...maybe his spider sense allowed him to dodge it! Hmm, would that be spider sense...or saiyan sense? Ack, who knows! Well, hope you enjoy this chapter as much as the last one! Thanks for the review, man! Peace!_**

_**Wow...all these reviews! I'm over 100 REVIEWS NOW! AHHH! -Jumps up and down and screams- YAYNESS! Thanks so much guys! I love you all and cannot believe the response I've gotten for this story! It's amazing! You guys ROCK! Please don't hesitate to send me a suggestion about the story or a comment! I read and appreciate every response I get! You guys are awesome, so I'll quit stalling and let you get to the story! Hope you like it! Peace out and rock rock on!**_

_**Enjoy the Story!**_

_**Romania Black**_

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Day Seven, She Said Yes

Marron sat on the couch in Roshi's house, thumbing through the only magazine within its walls that did not contain a nude or partially nude bikini clad woman image gallery. This magazine, _Martial Arts Monthly,_ was not exactly her cup of tea when it came to magazines, and the fact that it was dated back thirty years ago didn't help matters. But at this point, she wasn't picky.

Her uncomfortableness could have stemmed from the fact that the old hermit was watching her every move around the house hungrily, or the fact that his face never connected with hers when they spoke. It always seemed to fall in the exact same area, and it was not making Marron feel any less awkward.

"Heh heh," Roshi smiled nervously from the other end of the couch, his eyes the only thing showing from above one of his monthly swimsuit issues, "Did I, uh, ever tell you that you're named after your father's ex-girlfriend?"

Marron sighed, "Only a thousand times as a child, Master Roshi," She grimaced. She'd heard the story over and over, and was so tired of it, she really didn't mind being rude at this point about the matter.

"Oh I see," Roshi said with a slight disappointment in his voice, "Well, I wish you could have met her Marron! She was a lovely woman, she was!"

"Mom said she was a ditz and a complete moron," Marron replied slowly from behind the magazine she held.

Roshi gulped loudly and lowered his swimsuit issue, giving Marron a startled look. "Errr...I don't think 18 ever met her."

"She heard that from my father," Marron added, and Roshi's eyes grew wider.

"Ah, well, Krillin could have had a good thing going you know...she looked a lot like Bulma...only sweeter...and...nicer...and...she did have this one swimsuit..." He said in a reminiscent voice, his eyes staring off into the distance.

Marron rolled her eyes in disgust and turned the page of the magazine, where a new spread on how to do a jump kick was printed.

"...Yellow swimsuit...cut low...very low..." Roshi's voice trailed on, and Marron wished the old man would just shut up and leave her alone.

"Dad only named me after her because she was pretty, and that's what he thought of me when I was born; pretty." Marron said in an annoyed voice, her eyes narrowing at Roshi, who once again wasn't staring her straight in the face.

The old man made no reply, but merely stared at Marron's chest, his eyes in a kind of daze. Marron realized he was drooling and held back the thought of vomiting.

"Roshi, are you even listening to me?" Marron asked him with a snap of disgust.

"Huh, who what?" The hermit asked as if snapping out of a trance.

Marron slapped Roshi hard across the face with the end of her magazine, "WILL YOU _QUIT _STARING AT MY _CHEST_?" She screamed. Roshi recoiled from the attack and gave the blonde a look of shock.

"I was not staring there!" He retorted, rubbing his red face.

"I caught you _DROOLING_!" Marron said, her face full of fury, holding the magazine out of her lap as if threatening to hit him again.

Roshi cowered back and retreated behind his magazine. Marron decided not to lean over and hit him; she wasn't in the mood right now. She flipped the martial arts magazine back into her lap and continued where she'd left off at...the jump kick spread.

The old master looked up at her from behind the magazine, his voice having a slight shrivel of braveness behind it.

"Eh...Marron?" He whispered softly.

"_What_?" She snapped back at him, her eyes on fire.

"Errr...could you do this old man a favor?" He asked with a shred of hopefullness in his voice.

"And that would be?" Marron did not like the idea of doing Roshi a favor at the moment.

"Well, back in my room, there's a box of clothing..." He let his voice trailed off as he pointed to the room.

"And?" Marron lowered the magazine.

"You see, there's some swimsuits in there, heh heh," Roshi said as the eagerness built up in his voice, "And I wanted to know if you could wash them for me..." He looked at Marron hopefully, who gave him a hard stare.

"Why do you need me to clean your clothes?" She asked with a sneer.

"I had Lunch do it back when she was my maid, but I let her off when I went on vacation," He sighed sadly, "And I don't have a clue what I'm doing when I clean clothes...so...could you...do it for me?" He pleaded as any old man could best.

Marron rolled her eyes and sighed, _what choice did she have? _"Okay, Roshi, I'll clean them for you." She said softly.

"Ah, thanks, Marron!" The old hermit sighed slyly, "Oh, and after that, you could try them on and come model them for me--"

**_WHAM!_**

The swimsuit magazine fell to the floor along with Master Roshi, who had a large red handprint embedded onto his face, which was throbbing. Marron smacked the martial arts magazine onto the coffee table in disgust and placed her hands on her hips, looking down at the old man.

"_YOU SICK PERVERT_! I hope you stay on the ground and no one helps you up!" She said loudly, "I try to help you out and you turn it into some kind of--" She stopped in her tracks as the doorway outside opened up.

"Did I miss anything?" Goten walked into the house happily, the door slamming shut behind him.

Marron calmed down immediately and gave him a sincere look, "No, not much. Hey," She smiled.

Goten smiled back and chuckled as he saw Roshi on the floor, "What on earth are you doing down there, Master Roshi?"

"I'm wondering that myself," The hermit said in a strained voice, rising slowly from the floor. Marron moved away from him, afraid she'd slap him again out of pure anger. The old man looked at Marron with a downcast look, "You know, that actually hurt!"

"Good," Marron replied with a stern smile, "Maybe it'll knock some sense into you!"

"Aw, is Roshi bein' his usual self?" Goten said with a small chuckle, seeing the red handprint on the side of his face and putting two and two together. The old man popped up in his spot and grabbed the magazine beside him, giving Marron a fearful glance.

"I suppose so," The blonde breathed. She turned from Roshi and walked towards the kitchen.

Goten followed her, as Roshi laid on the ground, rubbing his face and mumbling words that sounded to Goten like, "I didn't mean at the moment! You'd think she'd like trying on swimsuits...ow..." His voice grew softer as his murmuring became faster. The Demi-Saiyan smiled and turned towards Marron, who was scrubbing dishes in the sink with such fierceness, he thought she might break the dish in half.

"Easy there," Goten said with a Goku-fashioned chuckle, "You'll break the plate at that rate," He said, reaching for the dish and taking it from her. Marron gave him a sharp look, then sighed heavily,

"Sorry...Staying with him," Her eyes darted towards Roshi, who was still on the ground, "Hasn't been easy this morning." She cocked her head in curiousity, "Where did you go, anyway?"

"I had to go help out Trunks with something," Goten said, holding back the urge to laugh. He decided not to mention what kind of business Trunks had needed assistance in, although he wanted to tell her very badly.

"Oh," Marron said bluntly, obviously expecting to hear more than that. "Well, next time take Roshi with you okay?"

"Are you talking about me over there?" Roshi called out, picking himself up off the floor.

"IT'S NONE OF _YOUR _BUSINESS, OLD MAN!" Marron screamed, and the martial artist fell to the floor in shock again. She gave Goten a fleeting look, "Sorry..."

"Wow, It _HAS _been a bad morning for you, huh?" Goten said with an apologetic smile.

"I'll be fine," Marron sighed, scrubbing on another dish, but not as hard this time.

Goten scratched the back of his head, realizing he'd have to tell her soon what he'd planned to tell her as soon as he'd gotten home.

"Hey, Marron?" Goten smiled nervously, feeling a lump rising in his throat.

"Uh-huh?" The blonde replied, her face turned from him, cleaning dishes.

"Is there any way I can speak to you soon..._alone_?" Goten emphasized the word 'alone', hoping she'd get some sort of hint that this was important. Marron turned and gave him a curious glance.

"Alone? What are you wanting to kn--"

"It's important, that's all...I need to talk to you about this alone, though." Goten grabbed her shoulders.

_What's wrong, I wonder? _Marron thought with a concerned look. She'd never seen Goten like this. Something was on his mind, that's for sure. She grasped his right hand on her shoulder with her left.

"Yeah, we can talk," She said softly, seeing the nervousness that was welled in his eyes. "Whatever it is, we can talk about it."

"Well, I know...but...," Goten let his eyes shift towards Roshi, "...I'd like to say this when there's just the two of us...you know..." He nudged his head towards the martial arts master.

Marron's eyes grew wide in understanding, "OH! I see, I see," She smiled, "Sure...I'll get him to go away. Watch," She turned from Goten and walked towards the martial arts master, who was just getting to his feet. The old man jumped a little when she saw him coming towards him, but held steady in his spot as she stopped directly in front of him.

"Marron! I'm---uh---sorry about the---you don't have to try them on, you know!" He tried to laugh, but it came out very fearful and nervous.

The blonde sighed and pulled off her best smile, "It's alright, Roshi, I forgive you."

"I didn't mean to---what?" Roshi paused and actually stared her in the face, "What did you say?"

"You're forgiven," She smiled, her blue eyes dazzling, "It must be hard to be cooped up in this house with no maid or friends...all the time..." Her voice softened, sounding sweeter than it had before.

Roshi's eyebrows rised toward the top of his bald head, "Why, you know, it was boring while I was gone...I was alone a lot," She noticed his gaze shift back towards the usual spot his eyes went to. Marron crossed her arms, so he had to look up at her face, "Uh...what'd you have in mind, then?"

"It's a beautiful day outside," Marron said with a sweet grin, "I know that my parents have their pool open, if you want to go swimming or something...?" She played off an innocent smile. Goten didn't know where she was going with this.

"Why would I want to go there?" Roshi frowned. "We're in the middle of the ocean!"

"Well, of course," Marron tugged at her lip innocently, "But my mother isn't here at the ocean..."

Roshi's eyes widened to where you could see the whites of them from outside the sunglasses' lens. She was sure she saw a trickle of blood come out his nose, which usually happened when he was aroused, as she'd learned. Roshi ran a hand down his bald head and smiled slyly, "Why would you want to go home anyway to swim, rather than here?"

"Goten and I wanted to see my parents...I'm kind of homesick," She said with a voice of sugary honey, sounding slightly sad at the same time. "Mom would be soooo happy to have guests..." She knew that Roshi had a thing for her mom, and that this could work.

The words had their desired effect, Roshi's mouth opened hungrily, his eyes watering.

"Well...we could go over there..." He started; Goten wanted to burst out laughing at how well her plan was going.

"She's gotten this new swimsuit too," Marron said, putting the icing on the cake, "A new strapless white one...with a big V in the middle..."

"OKAY, WE'RE GOING!" Roshi jumped up, his fist shoved in the air as a sign of triumph. Marron smiled a cunning grin.

"Tell you what, Master Roshi, you go ahead, and we'll eat lunch and meet you down there." She said with a smile.

"Seriously? Leave you two here...alone?" Roshi's eyebrows raised in a sly manner.

"We've been alone for a week now," Marron said, her voice becoming suddenly more serious, "We'll be fine."

Roshi took this as a threat to _get-out-and-do-as-I-say_, "Oh, right! Okay!" He ran towards the door with excitement, "I'll see you there then! You kids stay out of trouble! Bye..." His voice trailed off as the door slammed shut.

Goten stared at Marron and shook his head in amazement, "Wow...how'd you do it?"

"I know how he works," Marron smiled mischieviously, "It doesn't take much to motivate him to go."

"That was amazing," Goten smiled, then raised one eyebrow, "Are all people that gullible around you?"

"Seems to be that way," She said with a smirk, "So, what did you want to talk about?"

Goten sighed, realizing he'd have to start this somehow, he just didn't know where. "How about we eat lunch, and then I'll tell you?"

Marron gave him a look of disbelief, "Seriously? How important is this?"

"Important, but It'd help if we ate first," Goten was starving and didn't know if he'd have the focus to do this on an empty stomach. "Is that okay?"

"Of course," She walked past him and started rumaging through the cabinet, "What do you want?"

"Oh! I can fix lunch!" Goten explained. He figured it would help if he did the cooking today.

"Uh," Marron gave him a sincere but nervous glance, "I haven't fixed you anything all week. Let me cook lunch, okay?"

"If you want to," Goten didn't know why she wouldn't want his cooking. He thought he did a great job as a cook.

Marron didn't want to tell him that his cooking wasn't the best in the world, "I'll cook today...I like cooking anyway."

"That's right!" The Demi-Saiyan remembered her telling him that. "Do you cook often at home."

"Oh yes," Marron smiled, "Mom's not much of a cook, and dad hates it. I've wondered how they've been faring without met this week..." She plopped two eggs into a skillet and placed it over the oven.

"Probably ordered take-out," Goten laughed, watching her get out the bread.

"Probably," Marron giggled, picturing her parents fighting over a pizza and what to have on it. She smiled and dropped the over-easy eggs onto two slices of toast. "How many egg and garlic sandwhiches do you want Goten?"

"Oooh, I like egg and garlic sandwhiches!" He smiled, "I'd say about five would work for me."

"WHAT?" Marron's mouth dropped, "Five?"

"Yeah, why? Is that okay?" Goten asked curiously, "I usually eat five at home."

"Wow," Marron sighed, a nervous smile on her face, "You Saiyans eat A LOT!" She laid the two egg sandwhiches in front of him and turned to make some more. Goten smiled as he took a bite of his sandwhich, savoring the good gooey taste of it.

"I've really never been around a family that _didn't_, so I wouldn't know...wow, Marron, this is _excellent_!" He said happily, staring at the half-eaten sandwhich in front of him.

The blonde blushed, "You think so?"

"Oh yeah!" He said with a mouthful of the sandwhich, "Beffer dam da oones at fomph," Goten tried to say despite the food in his mouth.

Marron smiled sweetly and laid three more beside his two plates and her one sandwhich at her seat. She blushed and smiled as the two ate in silence, happy to see him enjoying her meal she'd made for him. Goten had no room for comment, he was eating so fast, amazed at how good the sandwhiches were.

After the two had finished their meals, empty plates were placed in the sink to be cleaned at a later time and the two stretched, satisfied with the luncheon.

"Marron, that was great," Goten smiled, his face beaming and a trace of egg on his lip.

The blonde wiped it off with her hand and giggled, "Well I'm glad someone likes it. Mom and dad won't hardly eat it at home."

"You're kidding!" Goten chuckled in amazement.

"Nope," Marron sighed and shook her head, "I'm not. They hate it; like my other cooking, but hate that."

"Well, that just means more for me!" Goten said with a triumphant expression. Marron giggled again, _What do I have, the giggles today?_

The two individuals stared at each other in silence for a moment, both lost for words. The blonde stretched her arms behind her had as Goten wiped his mouth again to make sure there was nothing on it. _Not now. _"Marron?" He asked softly.

"Mmm-hmmmm?" Marron mumbled, tilting her neck back to stretch more.

"It's so nice out," Goten wasn't sure how to word this, "Do you...want to go...outside and walk around?" It sounded like something she'd want to do anyway, as far as the Demi-Saiyan could guess.

"Oh? Sure," Marron gave him a sideways look, "If you want to that is."

"Yeah, let's do that," Goten grasped her hand in his, and Marron felt the warmth of his touch immediately spread through him. "I'd like to talk to you..."

"About?" Marron gave him an odd gesture with her eyes, _what's up with him? _"Is something wrong?"

"No, no," Goten reassured her, but his face was mysterious and unreadable as he said this, "I just want to talk to you...about stuff and all...if that's okay..."

"It is, Goten, it's just that," Marron couldn't place it. Something was up. "You sounded different than normal, that's all."

"Oh," The Demi-Saiyan wondered if he was scaring her. He definately DID NOT want to do that today. He allowed himself to relax and smile that token Son smile, "Sorry...didn't mean to worry you or sound weird..."

Marron was relieved to see that smile. The smile that meant everything was okay, at least in her books, "It wasn't weird, Goten. That's fine. I just thought something was wrong..." He led her towards the door, their hands intertwined within each other's.

"Let's go outside and continue this conversation," Goten smiled mischieviously and opened the door to the beach outside, both quickly forgetting about Roshi flying in the far away distance towards 18 and Krillin's house atop a reluctant Nimbus cloud, expecting a very hospitale pool and hostess awaiting his arrival...

The sunlight poured from the sky onto the two figures below. As they walked in the heat of the sun, Marron held Goten's hand as they continued talking about whatever was on their mind at the moment. The discussions had been nonchalant, but interesting to each other.

"So you really had no idea about the Wollawong fruit?" Marron asked the man beside her with a giggle.

"Are you kidding?" Goten gave a huge Goku-like smile, "I had not idea what it was! Mom just said try a bite, and I did."

The two laughed for a moment, then went silent with pensiveness, each thinking of how their lives had changed because of that fateful moment they took a bit out of each end of the fruit. Marron blushed and turned from Goten's face so he couldn't see how red her cheeks were,

"I suppose," She said softly, "It's for the better..."

Goten looked down at her, squinting in the sunlight to get a better view of her face which, in the shadows the sunlight cast, was dark and unreadable. The Demi-Saiyan sighed, he hadn't expected to ask her so soon...but...

"Marron--" He began.

"Who were you jealous of?" Marron burst out, unexpectedly. Goten nearly fell over in surprise.

He steadied himself, his hand letting go of hers and gave the blonde a slightly stern look, "Why's it matter?" _Weren't we past this?_

"I just wanted to know," She said the pink still on the apples of her cheeks, "You never told me for sure...was it Bra? Or Uub?"

Goten sighed, looking upward towards the white clouds that were sparcely scattered in the sky, "Well, I was jealous of them at times, but never enough to really make me angry." He frowned, "I've forgiven them for a while now...in my mind at least." He hadn't forgave them in person yet, but he planned on it eventually.

"I see," Marron could sense a layer of Goten rising to the surface that she'd never witnessed before, "Then who--I mean--you were so mad--what'd I say to make you---" She couldn't find the words she wanted to say.

"Gohan," The Demi-Saiyan finished the sentence for her, his face looking graver, "It's...Gohan, I've always been jealous of," He turned and stared at Marron to see if she'd heard him. The blonde had a shocked expression on her face, her eyes widened.

"You're jealous of Gohan?" She said in more of a mutter than an actual word, "Wha--why?"

Goten didn't answer her at first. He seemed lost in his own thoughts, his face looking forward, reminiscent, "I don't remember being jealous of him when we were young. We were never compared to one another, except by Piccolo I thought. He wouldn't let me do things during the time of Majinn Buu that I was certain he'd let Gohan do. I guess being the younger brother, I was overprotected a lot and didn't realize it." He paused and realized Marron was staring right at him, her eyes welled up with concern and anxiousness.

"Go on," She whispered. Goten sighed and continued,

"Gohan and I never fought when we were younger," He smiled and looked up and a flock of birds pass overhead, "I thought Gohan was the greatest, and still do in a lot of respects." He sighed more somberly, "As I got older though...I don't know...I guess I started to realize how great Gohan really was." He frowned, "Mother approved so much of Videl when they married, that I promised myself when I got older I'd find someone like her...to impress mother with...I was young when I thought that," He added with a chuckle, giving Marron a quick sly glance.

Marron suddenly understood that all the references to Videl Goten had made of her were actually _good _things. She smiled and motioned for him to continue talking.

"None of the girls I dated could match up to Videl...I guess Bra was the closest to do that in attitude and spunkiness," He shot an eye towards Marron who seemed a little upset, but not enough to stop him from talking, "So that's how that went. Then of course there was strength," Goten chuckled as the two reached a palm tree and both of them plopped down under it's large shady leaves, "I wanted so hard to be as strong as Gohan," The Demi-Saiyan clenched his fists and looked at the sand below him, "I trained night and day to face him. He'd been at his peak of strength at ages eleven and eighteen...I wanted to do the same!" He smiled grimly, "I finally got to where I thought I could face him, and win, so I went to find him to battle him...but..." His voice broke off, an angry hint to it.

Marron raised an eyebrow, "But?"

Goten cast her an upset glance, "He was already through with fighting..." He said slowly.

"And was into science and technology and scholar-stuff," Marron finished the sentence for him, understanding what he meant.

"Yeah, he wasn't a scholar, he was a nerd," Goten said with a envious look, "He's still that way."

"Ha ha," Marron giggled, "He is pretty dorky with those glasses," She smiled, and Goten smiled back.

"Glad someone else thinks that," He said with a grin, then sighed, "Anyway, now there was something that was beyond me! School...ha, I was lucky to pass out of high school!" He smiled, thinking back to his high school days.

"Really?" Marron had never known this.

"Yeah, I never told anyone this, but the only reason I did so well was because I had Trunks doing my work for me," He winked at the blonde, who burst into a peal of giggles, clutching her sides for relief.

"_HA_! Are you serious?" She had to wipe her eyes for all the tears in them.

"Oh yeah," Goten suddenly looked serious, "By the way, you never heard that...okay?" _As far as his mother was concerned, he'd passed on his own accord._

"I hear ya," She said with an understanding smile.

"I grew jealous of him over time...Gohan was so perfect it seemed. He was strong, smart, and obviously good looking from what Videl and my mother always said...I just didn't ever seem to match up with him at anything," Goten looked sadder, balancing his head on the palms of his hands now, his elbows touching his knees.

Marron wanted to reply to this, but her mind was a blank, she could think of nothing to say to him. All she could will herself to do was put her hand on his shoulder. Just a touch, to let him know it was alright. Goten stared at her hand and a small smile burst onto his face.

"I'd walked around for so many years jealous of him, and I thought I'd never find something I could have on him...," He stared at Marron's crystal blue eyes, "Well, until I met you that is."

The blonde swished her hair behind her shoulders, "_Goten_..." She said looking slightly embarrassed. "Don't be silly..."

"I'm being _serious_, Marron," Goten smiled, taking her hand in his, "I honestly had nothing really to live for...nothing that gave me a sense of accomplishment and pride until that day we were sent here for the week."

"And what's gave you a sense of accomplishment since you've been here?" Marron asked with a sarcastic snap to her voice. _This I gotta hear!_

Goten smiled warmly, "What hasn't? I've learned so much this past week! I've learned to clean house--"

"Which we did while we were drunk," Marron cut in.

"--Take care of some people who can't hold their liquor--" He grinned and winked at Marron, who flushed.

"You know, I could've taken care of myself," She tried to explain.

"--plus I learned how to cook--"

_Ahh...I'll leave that one alone, _Marron thought with a grin, not wanting to remind the Demi-Saiyan that his nuked toast and pre-cooked foods didn't really count as _cooking_...

"--and I even got to teach someone how to fly...which I'd never done before!" He gave Marron a sweet grin, who blushed.

"Okay, you DID do teach me to fly," She smiled, her eyes closing as she admitted it, "I'll give you that one."

There was a moment of silence, and the blonde wondered why Goten had stopped talking.

She suddenly felt a hand under her chin, lifting it up to face Goten's face, who was giving her an odd glance. _She'd never seen so many sides of this man expressed in one afternoon! _Goten's dark eyes met with her blue irises, and she saw something in them that she hadn't seen before. A certain feeling inside of her suddenly filled up her stomach, as if she something was about to happen, she just didn't know what.

"G--Goten?" Marron asked, her brow furrowing at this gesture.

"Marron, listen," Goten's voice had dropped a level. "I want you to hear me out...I've...I've never done this before," He sighed loudly and shook his head to focus himself. Marron stared at him blankly. _What on earth? _She wondered.

The Demi-Saiyan took a deep breath and stared her in the eyes, making sure every word he said was felt by her, "This last week has been...the best week in my life possibly! I was trying to think why it'd been so great, and I'd decided early on that it was because I was on my own and had freedom I hadn't had before since I was by myself. But then I got to thinking...and I realized it was mainly because I was with you." His eyes never left hers as he said this.

"Goten," Marron's cheeks turned pink, "You're so goofy...it was just one week...nothing to get--"

"It's more than one week!" Goten protested, giving her a firm grip on her shoulder. She didn't pull away from him, just slightly grimaced, "You and I have known each other forever but until I was with you a week, I didn't know that...that..." _DARN! _Goten thought furiously at himself, the words caught in his throat, _I'm so stupid! Why can't I just say it?_

"Didn't know what?" _Why's he acting so weird? _Marron thought raising an eyebrow. She'd never seen him so indecisive. "Goten? What didn't you know?" She pressed.

"Hold on," He pressed a hand to his forehead, knowing he could say this right, "I'm sorry...I just...want to say this right..."

"Okay..." Marron tilted her head, awaiting him to recollect himself and start again.

"Alright," He suddenly had a burst of confidence, and the words let go of the throat they had clung to and came out flowing like the smoothest river, "Marron, I have known you forever and until this week I never would have thought this possible...that we'd be here today...right here!" He pointed to the sand beneath them, "But we are."

"Of course we are," Marron smiled, "It's all because of that fruit your crazy mother gave us."

"Are you saying that was a bad thing?" Goten asked rather bluntly, and Marron was taken by surprise.

"What? Uh...no, I guess not," She said, a feeling of anxioiusness and something unknown settling inside her. She suddenly felt on the spot. "Goten, what's up? What's the matter...you're...you don't seem like yourself," She suddenly was feeling concerned for him.

"Nothing's wrong...I'm just...I'm," Goten sighed. _I'm afraid you'll say no! _"I'm just nervous."

The blonde gave him a curious grin, "Goten, why on earth would you be nervous? We're just lying here on the beach talking..."

Goten pulled her slightly closer, to let her know that this was something personal between them, "Marron, I need you to hear me out." He pressed a finger to her mouth to silence her, and she quickly did.

He dropped his finger and she nodded curtly, "Okay," She said softly.

"This past week has been...nothing short of amazing," He sighed and smiled, looking down, "But I've also realized that it was because I was with you that it was so great..." Marron was about to tell him to stop being silly like that again, but he quickly started talking once more, "It's taken me a week to realize something that I had been missing...something, that I'd never really thought I needed until yesterday, when I realized how empty I was without it..." He looked at her to see if she was on the same page as him.

Suddenly Marron's eyes widened and she realized what he was talking about.

"Goten!" She gasped and ran a hand to her mouth in surprise. Goten chuckled, understanding she'd figured it out.

_About time... _"Marron, I thought I wouldn't be asking this for a long time from now...but I can't hold it inside me any more...it would be impossible."

"Are you--?" She whispered, her eyes starting to mist, but she already knew it what the answer was.

"I can't leave tommorrow and take you home," Goten said, smiling despite his nervousness, "Not back to your parents to live forever and never see you again. I'm sorry Marron, but I can't. Not now, not after this week."

"You are serious," Marron said in almost a choked voice, "Aren't you?"

"I've never done this before," Goten looked her in the eyes, "So tell me if I'm doing this wrong," He grasped her hands in his and knelt beside her, his dark eyes staring with hope in them before her tear-filled blue orbs,

_"Marron, will you marry me?"_

The blonde lowered her head and looked as though she was about to cry. She gripped his hand and steadied herself, raising her head, smiling as tears streaked down her pale cheeks.

"Goten...I...I don't know what to say..." She said with a gently smile, "I mean...it's so sudden..."

"I know...I figured one week was an awfully short time to be with someone before asking them such a thing, but I mean...I love you, Marron...I want to be with you..." He gently stroked a finger down her cheek.

"You want to be with me forever?" She said with a sob in her throat.

"I think that's what marriage does," Goten chuckled, "At least that's what I thought."

Marron shook her head in amazement. _He loves me...and wants to be with me...no matter what..._

"Oh Goten," She sighed and a broad grin spread upon her face, "You know what my answer has to be!"

The Demi-Saiyan gave her an innocently curious look, "And that is?"

Marron, shaking her head and her body shaking with excitement and unending joy, grabbed the back of Goten's neck and thrusted him against her, planting her mouth against his and kissing him as she'd never kissed him before. The two were lip-locked for what could have been forever to Goten and Marron, then she let him go and the butterflies rose up in her stomach and she shuddered with delight.

"Uhhhhhh..." Goten realized his face was bright red, "I'm going to take that as a 'yes'." He smiled.

Marron scratched the back of her head, "Yes, Goten, I'll marry you."

Goten felt his chest swell in pride and happiness, the amazement of her answer taking him by slight surprise. He wrapped his arms around her and slowly laid her down in the sand beside him, the blonde having another fit of the giggles as they sat next to each other.

"I can't tell you how that makes me feel," Goten stroked a lock of her silky blonde hair.

"Goten, you know," Marron propped her head up with her hand, her elbows bent in the sand, "Now that we're officially engaged, we have to tell everyone..."

"Yeah, I know," The Demi-Saiyan smiled and leaned in closer to her, "But can't that wait for now? I mean," He smiled a very un-Goku like smile, "We have the rest of today and tommorrow to tell them."

"I guess that's true," She said with a smirk, leaning in closer to him.

Goten felt her thigh brush against him, and gripped it with his hand, smiling and tracing her cheek with a finger, "Besides, The week isn't over...I still have some alone time with you..." He brushed his lips against hers and she giggled,

"Who would have thought I'd end up with you?"

"That's funny," Goten said, bringing her in for a long overdue moment in the shade, "I was thinking the same thing..."

The sunlight shone down brighter than it ever had, but the two figures embraced in each other's arms under the shade of a large palm tree didn't seem to notice too much. For so long, they'd searched for someone that they knew they could spend eternity with, and until that moment they had failed to find that perfect match. Now under the long leaves of the palm, they realized that the one person they each needed had been right beside them the entire time.

_**AWWW! Okay okay! How was it? I know...I intended it to go a lot of different ways, but I settled with that one..and I hope you liked it! Aw, now they're going to get married! -prays it wasn't too sappy- YAY! But when I wonder?**_

_**Well, next chapter, Marron and Goten spread the news about their official engagement, and some are ecstatic for them, but who's NOT SO HAPPY about it? And what will they do about it? The fun continues in the next chapter!**_

_**Unfortunately, I'll be gone this weekend, so I won't be able to work on the new chapter, but as soon as I get back, I'm starting on it, because the chapters to come are going to be HILARIOUSLY FUN to write! Stay tuned!**_

_**You guys are so awesome, words can't describe it! You make me write and keep me going when I feel like giving up on things! Thanks you SO MUCH for all your support! I wish every writer could have fans like you! Thanks a million! I LUV YA ALL!**_

_**Peace out and rock ROCK ON!**_

_**Romania Black**_


	28. Day Seven, Word Gets Out Again

The Taming of the Saiyan

By Romania Black

_**Hey all! Wow, this chapter took me a LONG time to do..mainly cuz of writer's block and my ENORMOUSLY busy School schedule..the classes are really picking up the pace, so my time to update will slow down some..but no worries..it'll all be good! I have so much more story to do! Anyway, there's a lot of 18's POV in this one...LOL, hope you like it!**_

_**  
Oh, and thanks so much for all the positive feedback on the last chapter! YAY! LOL, So happy for everything you guys do for me! So grateful! LUV YA ALL! Just wanted you to know that...**_

_**As usual, rated T for TEEN, due to mild violence, alcohol referance and consumption, mild sexual themes, and brief language...**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own anything of Akira Toriyama! But if he wants to use any of my ideas...GO FOR IT! **_

_**Reviews:**_

**_CheyaAngel: Hey thanks for the review! Glad you liked it! LOL Thanks! I'll update as soon as I can! I hope you enjoy this chapter just as much! _**

**_Sinful Sakura: HA HA HA! Krillin IS a crazy Midget! Just wait til you see 18's reaction in this chapter! BWAhAHAHAAHA! -rereads review- Awwww! You got teary eyed? That's so kawaii! Aw, I was moved when I wrote it too...I wish I could get proposed to like that! LOL seriously, it'd be so romantic! And yeah...naming your kid after an ex...what was he thinking? LOL, well I hope you enjoy the chapter! Thanks so much for the review! Glad you liked the last chapter!_**

**_Kumori Ookami: Ha ha ha! I figured you did know it from your one review! But I wanted to keep it hush hush, just in case! LOL! You're right, it is about damn time too! I know, I loved that line too! Just wait til Roshi gets over there! ha ha ha, yeah, we love Roshi don't we? Admit it! Well, I'll let you get to the next chapter! Thanks for the review and enjoy the fic!_**

**_Witch of Erie Knoll: awww, no lengthy funny review? LOL, just kidding! I know you're probably busy with your own fic, and it's awesome, so I'm NOT complaining about anything! Ha ha! Thanks for the compliment! -blushes- I hope this chapter is cool too for you! Thanks for the review!_**

_**You guys are so awesome! The reviews and comments have not only been helpful, but they've inspired me in so many ways with this story and have really helped me when I was crunched for an idea or suggestion...THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! I LOVE ALL OF YOU! Seriously, there is no way I can repay you all for all the help you've done for me! Thanks again, and feel free to leave me a comment or review of how you're liking the story or any suggestion for it you have. I'm grateful and appreciative of every one I recieve! Thanks a million! Peace out, and Rock ROCK ON!**_

_**Enjoy the Story!**_

_**Romania Black**_

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Day Seven, Word Gets Out Again

Krillin looked outside; the salty breeze was coming off the ocean towards their house, the sun was out and shining, and the grass had never looked greener. The small warrior sighed with relaxation, it was perfect out. He gazed over towards their new pool..._he hadn't swam in it in a while_..._and it is nice outside..._

"18!" The diminuitive warrior called out to his wife, running up the stairs to find her in their bedroom, reading a magazine. "Come on!" He waved towards her.

"What is it?" The Android said dully from behind the magazine, which happened to be about interior decorating. Not her favorite read.

"Let's go swimming!" The earthling chimed in, grabbing the end of their bedsheet she was sitting on and tugging fiercely at it.

"Why on earth would we do that?" She raised an eyebrow.

"It's perfect outside! And we haven't been in the new pool in a while!" Krillin begged.

"We were just in it a few days ago," 18 said in an exasperated voice.

"Please?" Krillin's eyes were big and innocent, "Come on...it's really nice out..."

"Krillin..." 18 sighed, shaking her head.

"Oh," He said curtly, "So you want to stay in the house all day and read those magazines?" He knew she hated them just as much as he did.

The Android gave him a sour look, then, realizing her defeat, smiled and stood up. "Fine...I'll meet you out there." She sighed.

Krillin ran towards the bathroom, "Just a second, and I'll be ready!" He smiled, shutting the bathroom door behind him.

18 had to smirk; _her husband was something else..._

"So," Goten said sitting up in the sand, "Who should we tell first?"

Marron brushed the sand from his black hair, "I don't know," She smiled, "Your parents or mine?"

"Eh...if Chi Chi finds out first, you're parents will know before we even get to them," Goten smiled sheepishly.

The blonde nodded, "That's true. So we tell my folks first?" She asked, giving him a playful poke.

"I suppose that'd be the most logical thing," Goten smiled, taking her hand in his. "Want to go right now?"

Marron leaned in towards him, "In a few more minutes," She said pressing her lips to his.

Meanwhile, Krillin had already cannonballed into the pool, the cold water surging up him, his skin tightening in recoil to the shock of the water. He shivered and looked at his wife, who was staring at him as if he was insane.

"C--come on i--i--in," Krillin stuttered, shaking, "The w--water's fine!"

18 crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow, "Looks like it," She said with a hint of sarcasm, staring at the water below her. She was wearing her new swimsuit that Krillin had bought her, a one piece strapless white swimsuit with a large V in the middle of it. She felt slightly exposed in her suit and crossed her arms to make her seem less exposed.

"What's wrong?" Krillin called out to her, his body adjusting to the coldness of the water.

"Nothing...this suit," She motioned to her swimsuit, "Is a little showy, you think?"

"What? _Noooo_," Krillin said with a sly grin, "Who on earth is going to see you in it other than myself?" He winked.

18 didn't look impressed or reassured, "I think I'm just going to sun a while first...warm up," She said, laying out on the deck of the pool. In truth, it seemed like a good reason to take a nap and to take her mind off the revealing swimsuit.

The earthling frowned, "Okay, I guess. I'll just swim around then..." He looked glum but was glad that she was out here anyway with him. As she laid down to sun, he started doing laps around the pool, feeling instantly refreshed in the cool water as the salty breeze swept through his graying hair.

_Why does she have to sun all the time? _Krillin frowned at his wife, wishing she'd just swim around with him and not lie on the deck tanning.

Roshi appeared a few feet off of the household of Krillin and 18, his eyes glistening when he spotted the pool. _So she wasn't lying, _the old hermit thought with a crooked grin_, I thought she'd be joking..._ He scuttled closer to the pool, hiding behind a tree so he wasn't immediately spotted by her. Roshi knew that he wasn't on 18's favorite list of people.

_How can I get close without her running off? _The old man wondered as he stalked closer slowly_, Maybe if I just ask Krillin if I can swim..._

Krillin happened to look closer and see Roshi coming up the driveway slowly. "Roshi? Is that you?" He called out, in surprise that he was actually alive, but the old man rushed a hand to the earthling's mouth.

"Shhhhh!" Roshi frowned, and Krillin quieted himself.

"I thought you were dead! What gives?" Krillin whispered in amazement.

"Does everyone think that?" The old man said with a growl. Krillin nodded his head quietly. The old man shook with fury, "I tell one person I'm going to be gone and then it turns into this...," He turned to Krillin, "Was the funeral good anyway?"

"Uh..." Krillin's eyes widened and he looked away in embarrassment, his face turning red.

Roshi slapped a hand to his forehead in dumbfounded surprise, "There wasn't even a funeral...was there?"

"Uh, Roshi, why are you here?" The diminuitive warrior asked solemnly, quickly changing the subject. "Is something wrong?"

The old man shifted his gaze to the figure lying on the deck; he couldn't see her face due to the enormous obstacles blocking the view. His face suddenly turned from furious to hungry.

"Is your wife asleep?" He asked softly.

"Uh..." Krillin didn't know. He looked up and saw that her eyes were closed, her chest rising slowly up and down, "I think so," He murmured.

"Good," The martial arts master's eyes gleamed, "Uh...can I take a swim?" He suddenly smiled innocently.

"What on earth--what are _you _doing here, Roshi?" Krillin's voice had lost a lot of its hospitability.

"I just want to swim!" the old hermit cried out quietly, his face feigning innocence.

"Is that so?" The earth warrior suddenly caught on to why Roshi had asked his wife's condition, "Or did you just come to see 18?"

A tiny trickle of blood was visible under Roshi's nostrils. He grasped a hold of Krillin's neck in panic, "Okay, okay!" He whispered harshly, "I did come to see your wife."

"God, Roshi," Krillin's voice had lost all respectfulness.

"You don't understand!" Roshi pleaded, "I'm an old man...all alone...no one to take care of him..."

"Didn't Lunch work for you?"

"I sent her away when I went on vacation!" The old hermit said pleading, "I was on vacation alone too! Give this old man a break!"

"That's sick, Master Roshi, she's my wife!" Krillin said defensively.

"Can I just go up and look at her and then swim around and go home?" The old man said with a desperate voice, "Come on..."

"This is so _stupid_..._fine_," Krillin realized the old man wouldn't leave until he let him have his way. "But you're only going to look at her, got it? Nothing else," He eyed the hermit suspiciously. "Then go _home_, okay?"

The hermit frowned, "No swimming?"

The look on Krillin's face was enough to tell Roshi he'd better quit while he was ahead and just hurry to the deck to glance at the gorgeous Android sunning there. _Kids these days...can't even take a swim! How unhospitable!_

_Why couldn't he have just died? _Krillin asked himself, hoping Roshi would do this quick. _Of course, when did anything Roshi do involve quickness? _

The earthling groaned as he waded around in the pool. He shouldn't have let Roshi go up towards the deck. He almost instinctively went to grab Roshi and tug him away from the deck, but he stopped halfway towards the hermit, realizing how much sound that'd make and the possibility of how angry his wife would be if he woke her up.

Meanwhile, Goten and Marron were flying together over the clouds, nearing Krillin's house with every second. As the wind swept through their hair, Goten turned towards the blonde, smiling with excitement, "I can't wait to tell everyone!" He called out to her.

Marron nodded, her blonde hair like a flowing mane of gold, "Me too!" She smiled, "And wait until mom finds out I can fly!"

"She'll be so surprised," And with that sentence, a youthful childish gleam lit up Goten's features, making him seem as spirited and playful as he did as a child playing pranks with Trunks.

"Of course she will! And I can't wait to show dad the energy ball you showed me to make! He'll be so impressed!" She laughed, as they neared the house.

Goten frowned, his memory buzzing, "Wait...aren't we fogetting something?"

"What are you talking about, Goten?" She gave him a confused raise of her eyebrow.

"You know...that feeling you get when you know you should be remembering something, but you can't? That's the feeling...Like we forgot something important..." He scratched his head as they flew onward.

"You're being silly," Marron reassured him, "What on earth could we forget?"

"I don't know...we didn't leave anything at Ro---at Ro----at----," Goten's eyes widened and he gave Marron a panicked look, "Marron! We forgot about _ROSHI_!"

"No, we didn't," Marron smiled, ignoring his mortified expression, "He's not at the house alone, don't worry."

"I know he's not at the house, Marron," The Demi-Saiyan's face paled, "He's at your _parents' _house, remember?"

"What?" Her eyes suddenly bulged out of their sockets, "_OH MY GOSH, GOTEN! YOU'RE RIGHT_!" Her face turned the starkest white. "I wonder if he's still there!" She said with a fearful voice. She didn't plan on arriving in the middle of Roshi, her mother, and father to tell them the news about her and Goten.

"I just wonder if your parents really decided to go swimming today," Goten frowned. The two looked at each other and considered all the worst possible outcomes of that event.

Of course, none of their predictions came close to what really ended up happening.

Roshi slowly eased himself onto the deck. It'd taken every part of him to do it without making a sound. His bones felt a lot more brittle than they used to, a clear sign of old age. Roshi twisted his back slightly and crept towards the sleepy body of 18.

He felt drool on the corner's of his mouth; she was so beautiful, laying in the sun, her sinuous body stretched out. Sure enough, she wore her new white strapless V-neck swimsuit Marron had said she'd wear. The martial arts master fought back the fighting urge of the nosebleed welling in his nostrils and gazed at her lovliness, idolizing her perfect figure.

Krillin huffed and crossed his arms, waiting for Roshi's peep show to end. Why he'd let the old man do this, he didn't quite know, but there was a bad feeling in his stomach. And Krillin knew to pay attention to bad vibes, as he got them a lot, especially in battle and knew when a bad event was about to occur.

"Okay, Roshi, you can leave now," Krillin said softly, but loud enough for the old man to hear him.

"Just another look, okay?" The hermit snapped. _Geez! How'd he end up with her anyway? Must have got her exetremely drunk one night..._The old man leaned over to get a glance at her most prominant features, which he tried to stare at from the front of her, ignoring Krillin's obvious whining about him leaving.

Just then, as he had balanced himself in the perfect position to stare straight down her bathing suit at the perfect round pair of assets she possessed, his cane gently nudged 18's shoulder.

Her pair of crystal eyes snapped open in an instant, and 18 found herself staring up at a slightly drooling Master Roshi, looking straight down into her strapless swimsuit. Their eyes connected for a moment, and the Android felt herself fill with rage.

**_"WHAT IS THIS!"_**

Krillin jumped out of the water so high, he nearly fell out of the pool. 18 grabbed a hold of Roshi's shirt collar and the old man's hands fell right into the one position they always seemed to fall. Right onto 18's breasts.

"Uh...hello 18!" Roshi said merrily, his hands squeezing gently on her breasts, trying to look innocent, but there was blood trickling out his nose and his face was beat red. "Lovely...uh...day we're having huh?"

The Android noticed this action immediately and smashed her fist into Roshi's face, sending him flying into a tree outside the pool. She sneered and threw back her hair, her face looking horrified and full of hatred,

"Roshi! I thought you were dead!" She growled, her cheeks red.

The old man lifted his head from the ground, leaves stuck through his beard, "Doesn't everyone?" He replied weakly.

18 spun around to her husband, who was trying to scurry out of the pool, "Krillin! Did you know he was here?" She asked with a growl.

Her husband put on an innocent smile, "Uh...well...that depends I guess...he was just coming here to swim...no harm in that, 18..."

"You let him come up here and grope me!" She screamed. Krillin recoiled as if he'd been whipped,

"No! I didn't!" He said with a shudder, "And technically, he didn't grope you--"

"_WHAT_?" 18 roared and flew into the air; grabbing Krillin by the swimtrunks and lifting him out of the pool. Roshi slowly got to his feet and tried to back towards the woods, to make his escape, but the Android's pointing finger stopped him in his tracks.

"YOU _STOP_!" She screamed, and the martial arts master froze in his footsteps. "Both of you listen and listen _NOW_! I am going to have a nice chat with you explaining _WHY _we don't grab women's unmentionable regions," her eyes darted to Roshi, who smiled with false innocence and shrugged, his cheeks a seering pink, "And _WHY _we don't invite creepy perverted men over to swim with her either!" She glared at her husband, who wished she'd really let go of his swimtrunks.

Just as 18 was about to chew the two men out for both of their childish and pathetic behavior, a familiar voice rang through the air and the Android looked up to see two faces she hadn't expected.

"HEY DOWN THERE!" The voice was clearly Goten's, as the first figure waved, the two specks slowly growing clearer through the branches of the trees. 18, Krillin, and Roshi watched as the figures slowly grew closer. The three waved to the two approaching.

"_MOM_! _DAD_! HEY!"

18 felt her heart drop several inches, as the second figure called out and waved. _Could it be? _18 slowly wondered, letting go of her husband unconsciously. Krillin dropped to the ground, rose from his feet and gave his daughter the proudest look Marron had ever seen him give her. 18 still looked too stunned for words. Even Roshi looked surprised, his mouth hanging open slightly.

Goten landed smoothly on the ground below and walked towards the three, but Marron was still circling overhead, smiling and giggling as the group below her watched her fly.

Krillin's smile was almost as wide as his whole face, "Marron, sweetie! Look at you! Wow...incredible!"

"Thanks daddy!" Marron smiled, slowly descending towards the ground.

"Impressive," Roshi said softly, and 18 glared at him and turned to Marron.

"How...how is this possible?" She said, her voice slightly confused, her brow furrowed.

Krillin gave his wife a saddened look; he expected this. Marron smiled softly, and looked towards Goten, who replied for her.

"I taught her," He said stepping forward. 18 and Goten stood face to face. The three others tensed, not knowing what would happen now.

18 looked at him and their eyes connected. All these years, she'd tried to keep her daughter normal, and not teach her the ways she and her husband knew. And now, unbeknownst to her, this boy had taught her what 18 had secretly wanted to show her since day one. She wanted to wring the boy's neck for teaching her before 18 could, but she also wanted to hug the boy so tightly for having the patience and courage to show her how to fly.

The Android smiled and grapsed a hand on Goten's shoulder, "Well, its about damn time someone did."

Marron erupted in laughter and hugged her mother, grateful that she was okay with her flying. Krillin sighed with relief and took Goten's hand in a friendly shake, "So, she learned alright?" He sniggered, wondering if he'd ever told Marron about their chat the other day.

"She's a natural," Goten said with a note of pride in his voice, winking at Marron, who was still hugging her mother.

"Is she now?" 18 smiled wickedly, "Is this true?"

"Of course," Marron smiled, "How could I not be a natural with parents like you two?"

Krillin and 18 both smiled and embraced their daughter, who held them close. "Seems like forever doesn't it?" She smiled, winking over their shoulders to Goten, who merely placed his hands in his pockets and smiled back.

"We're so proud of you, Marron," 18 whispered. Krillin nodded his head in agreement.

"Thanks," Their daughter whispered, and the area was quiet for a moment.

Roshi realized this touching moment should probably exclude him and that he'd better get going while 18 wasn't chewing him out, so he turned to go back towards the woods, but Goten spotted him leaving.

"Where you off to, Roshi?"

18 lifted her head up suddenly, remembering what they had been doing. "Roshi! Stop! I'm not finished with you or Krillin!" She said, her smile fading dramatically.

Marron didn't know what was going on, but she didn't like it. "No! Uh...Roshi, stop!" The martial arts master froze. "Mom, I told Roshi to come over here..." She started.

The Android's eyes grew enormous, "You did! _WHY_?" She asked, her eyebrows disappearing into her hair. Krillin cocked his head in confusion.

"Well...Goten and I needed...uhm..." She looked to the Demi-Saiyan, who gave her a fleeting smile.

"Guess we should go ahead and tell them?" He asked, shrugging. Marron nodded, realizing it'd be better to go ahead and share the news.

"Tell us what?" The Android asked firmly. Krillin's eyes grew wider as he started to understand what was going on. Roshi stared blankly at the group, not knowing what to do.

"Daddy...mom..." Marron started, her face turning pink. "There's something that we would like to share with you," She reached over and grasped Goten's hand, her face breaking into a lovestruck smile.

Krillin ran a hand to his mouth, wanting the next words that came out of her mouth to be what he prayed they be. 18's eyes widened slightly, and Roshi's mouth dropped open as he realized what Krillin already had.

"Krillin, sir, and 18...ma'am," Goten started, his face turning slightly pink as he addressed the Android, who bore a blank expression, "Today, I'm asking you two for permission to marry your daughter."

**_"YESSS!" _**Krillin screamed, jumping up and down with excitement.

Marron and Goten looked at each other and grinned. 18 ran a hand to her husband's shoulder to calm him down.

"Hold on, dear," She said firmly, as the earthling stopped bouncing up and down. "So...you've asked my daughter to marry you?" She asked Goten, who nodded his head.

"Yes I have," He replied.

"I see," She added, and looked to her daughter. "And you said yes?"

"Yes I did," Marron smiled, unsure by what her mother was implying.

The android sighed and closed her eyes, seemingly pondering something. Krillin was shaking with eagerness; it was obvious he'd waited for this moment for quite some time. Roshi stared at the couple, not seeing them together as a couple until this moment. And then their pairing appeared completely obvious to him, and he wondered why they'd never hooked up before.

"I see," She lifted her head and her face bore a serious stare, "I wish you two would have waited longer for this..." She said slowly.

"That's what I thought at first too," Marron said and smiled towards Goten, "But he loves me mom, and he's not going to wait."

"Oh he isn't?" 18 said with a slightly amused glance towards the Demi-Saiyan. "Is that what you told her?"

"Uh," He faltered for a moment as her intense crystal eyes stared at him, "I mean, yes, I did. I love your daughter and want to be engaged with her. I know it's sudden, but I've never been more sure," He glanced at Marron, "of anything else than this in my life."

Krillin looked like he was going to cry, and Roshi shook his head. _Can't argue with logic like that,_ The old man thought. 18 stared at the Demi-Saiyan for a moment then cleared her throat.

"Well, I think you two should have waited longer before deciding this, but," And a smile broke onto her face, "If that's your will, then what can I do to stop you two?"

"Oh mom!" Marron embraced her mom again, "Thank you!"

"Why are you thanking me?" She asked, moving towards Goten, "This young man has asked you to marry him and you two love each other. It's him and you I should be thanking." She shook Goten's hand and the young warrior felt chills rush through him, "I could ask for no one better to marry our daughter," 18 smiled.

"Don't worry," Goten smiled a Goku-like smile, "I'll take good care of her."

"I can't believe this," Krillin was wiping tears from his eyes, "Me and Goku...father-in-laws!" He said with a small sob.

"Dad...isn't Goku--"

"Leave him," 18 advised Marron, shaking her head, "Leave him be. As for you--" She turned towards Roshi, who jumped at her voice, "--being the circumstances are as they are now," She motioned towards her daughter and Goten, "I guess you're getting off the hook, aren't you?"

"_OH_!" Roshi smiled widely, "Oh, don't worry, I won't be uh...doing that...uh...ever again!" His face turned red as he scratched the back of his head. The glare on 18's face assured him that he'd keep his word; he never wanted to see that look she gave him ever again.

"Good," 18 said with a small smile, turning to her daughter and now-fiance. "So...you two are engaged...amazing."

"Officially, anyway," Goten said, taking Marron's hand. She smiled back at him, as did the Android.

"Of course. Speaking of which," She turned to Marron, "Have you told Chi Chi yet?"

"No, not yet," Marron replied, "We were heading there next."

"I see," 18 smiled. Krillin was still wiping tears of joy from his face, mumbling things that the three assumed were, "If Goku coulda been here to see this...," and "So proud...this is great..."

Goten chuckled, "Can't imagine how mom'll take the news," he said with a large amount of sarcasticness.

Marron rolled her eyes, "I'm sure she'll be upset," She added with the same amount of sarcasm.

The five laughed and 18 had to wipe her eyes as well, which was something she almost never did. _Since when do I tear up? _The Android wondered to herself. She gave the couple a sincere look. "So, can we come with you two...to Chi Chi's?"

"Of course," Marron smiled, and turned to the martial arts master, "You can come too, Master Roshi."

"If you promise to remain at least ten feet from me and my daughter," 18 added with a serious stare.

"Uh..of course!" Roshi tried to smile, but he simply couldn't manage it.

The five took off into the air, Roshi on the Nimbus cloud, which seemed to barely be able to hold him up, and the others flying in the air, destined for Chi Chi's house.

Pan saw them from a distance, her ebony hair whipping in the wind. She knew it was Goten; _with a Ki like that, who else would it be? _Goten's Ki was unique; to Pan at least. She could tell it from Trunks', whose was slightly stronger. Pan raced back towards the front porch, where Gohan, Videl, and Chi Chi were sitting in one of the swings.

"Mom! Dad! Grandma! Look!" She pointed into the sky. The three on the swing could make out a small group of people in the air. "It's Goten!" Pan cried out happily.

"Why are they coming here?" Videl asked, her voice masked with concern.

Chi Chi looked worried, "Is the week over already?" She whimpered.

"I guess so," Gohan adjusted his glasses as Pan jumped up and down, waving her arms in the air frantically.

"_GOTEN_! _OVER HERE_!" She screamed merrily, her dark eyes wide and happy.

The Demi-Saiyan glided towards the ground, Marron falling shortly behind him, along with Krillin, 18, and Roshi on top of the flying Nimbus.

Videl's eyes went wide, "I don't believe it," She gasped.

"Is that...is that Marron flying?" Gohan blinked, as the group landed in front of their porch.

"_WOW_! MARRON!" Pan rushed over and gave the blonde a quick hug. "You can fly!"

Marron giggled, "It would appear that way."

"That's amazing! Did Goten teach you?" Pan quickly glanced from Marron to Goten. The blonde nodded, and Pan erupted, "_YOU'RE KIDDING_! _GOTEN_," She shot her uncle an angry stare, "How come you never taught me how to fly when I was little?"

"I didn't need to when dad was here," Goten patted Pan on the head, "Besides, Trunks and I didn't have the patience to teach you anything." He winked at her, but Pan sighed, crossing her arms in disappointment.

"Yeah, yeah," She mumbled, "Great excuse, you lazy bum--"

"This is a surprise," Videl cut in, stepping in front of her daughter. "It's been a long week since I've seen you and Marron, Krillin, 18, and---and---" Videl's gaze sharpened as she stared at Roshi, who was slowly getting off the Nimbus. "---Is that---?"

"ROSHI!" Gohan ran forward and gave Master Roshi a strong embrace, to which the old hermit gasped and tried to squeeze out of.

"Stop! Seriously...I'm okay! You can cut it out, Gohan!" The martial artist wheezed.

"We thought you were dead, Master Roshi," Chi Chi said in an astonished voice.

"That's what we thought as well," 18 chimed in, her voice much calmer and soothing than before they left, but still eyeing Roshi with a hint of disgust. Roshi's face turned red and he looked away from her.

"Well next time I decide to go on vacation, I'll just leave a memo telling everyone where I went," Roshi snapped, shaking Gohan off of him.

The group laughed for a moment, then Chi Chi came forward and embraced her son. "Oh, Goten," She cooed, wrapping her arms around her youngest son. Goten felt his face burning,

"Mooooom," He groaned and forced a smile as he returned the embrace.

"Don't whine," Chi Chi said sharply, "I'm your mother, and I have a right to miss you, Goten."

"I know," He glanced towards Marron, who was all smiles, "I missed you too, mother."

"He has something to share with you four," Krillin beamed, as 18 came beside him.

"What is it?" Pan asked, smiling and looking on the verge of jumping up and down again.

"Yes, uhm," Goten pulled away from Chi Chi and reached out his hands to grip her shoulders, "Mother, I have news for you." He felt Marron's hand squeezing his arm tightly, her face seeming to be bursting with eagerness. "Mom, I've asked Marron to marry me."

There was a long silence that followed, the only sounds being Roshi grunting as he struggled to contain Nimbus near him, as the little cloud wanted to fly away but Roshi wouldn't allow it. Pan's eyes were as large as dinner plates, her mouth gaped open. Videl and Gohan both wore equal expressions of surprise, but Chi Chi was the only one that bore a not-surprised serious stare.

Chi Chi looked to Marron, giving a small sigh, "Are you pregnant?"

"_WHAT_?" Marron shrieked and nearly fell over. Goten's face turned bright red, as did Krillin and 18's, as they stared at their daughter. "_NO_! For Heaven's sakes NO!" She repeated, looking flustered. Goten tried not to stare towards Gohan, but he knew his brother was smiling at that second.

"Oh," Chi Chi's face split into a wide beam, then she ran at her son, "_GOTEN_! YOU GOT A GIRL TO MARRY YOU! And she's _NOT PREGNANT_!" She screamed.

Goten was sure his face was the darkest crimson imaginable, because he felt as though he was literally on fire, but the smile that was on Marron's face as they stared at each other let him know that his mother's words meant nothing to her, and certainly weren't enough to get embarrassed over.

The Demi-Saiyan felt the burning in his face leave him as he stared at the beautiful girl he was going to marry. Marron smiled, realizing he was staring at her and forced herself to look at her parents, who both wore equally proud grins.

"Of course," 18 sighed and smiled at her daughter, "You still have to stay at home with us until the marriage."

"Well, I figured that," Marron said with a shaky laugh.

"And you're still grounded," 18 said with a darker grin.

"What?" The blonde gaped.

"Don't tell me you forgot my punishment for you for lying and not coming home that night?" The Android raised an eyebrow.

_She remembered that? _"Mom, that was so long ago--"

"A week ago, to be exact," The Android winked, and followed her husband over to where Gohan and Videl were standing. "Not too long ago," She smiled. Marron stared at her parents as they walked by, and realized it truly had only been a week. She gasped as the realization sunk in.

"I can't believe it," Marron whispered to herself, but Chi Chi broke her train of thought with an enormous embrace.

"_OH SWEETIE!_ I can't picture Goten with anyone else! I'm so happy for you two!" She squealed, her grip on Marron tight and slightly painful to the blonde.

"Thanks," Marron gasped.

"Now, when are you two planning to get married?" Chi Chi said with a more serious voice, letting go of Marron.

"Uh," The thought hadn't occured to her yet. "Well, I'm not sure, really," She turned to Goten, "When are we going to get married?"

The Demi-Saiyan bore a mildly childish look, "I don't know...next week sound good?"

"NEXT _WEEK_?" Chi Chi roared and slapped her son hard on the head, "Don't be foolish!"

"_Ow_!" Goten rubbed his head, giving his mother a confused look, "What's wrong with it?"

"You're as naive as your father, Goten," Chi Chi sighed, "It takes more than a week to get a wedding set up!"

"How long does it take?" Goten had never actually planned a wedding; he'd only been the ring-bearer in his brother's wedding, and couldn't remember how long that took. "I mean, what's the least time you think it would take?" He saw Marron blushing as he said this.

"It's been so long...," Chi Chi's voice trailed off. "Goku and I were bethrothed for years..."

"_YEARS_?" Goten looked worried, his eyes bulging slightly.

"But you two got married within the same day you reunited with each other at the World's Martial Arts Tournament," Videl cut in with a sly grin.

"Oh, SHUT YOUR MOUTH!" Chi Chi turned on her daughter-in-law.

"I think Videl and I waited three months before we were married," Gohan said with a small smile.

"It was closer to four," Videl added, trying not to laugh at Chi Chi, who looked furious.

"How long was it before we were married?" Krillin looked up at his wife, who was frowning slightly.

She eyed her husband with a look that said she didn't want to answer the question. "Well, you didn't propose to me until a few months after Cell was destroyed," She paused and closed her eyes, "But after you did it seemed like a month before we were married."

"A month!" Goten smiled broadly and turned towards Marron, "Will that be enough time?"

The blonde giggled and shrugged, "How should I know? I've never been married before!"

"Think we can pull it off, 18?" Goten smiled towards the Android.

She gave Goten a harsh stare, in truth she didn't think it was good for her daughter to be married so soon, but seeing the look on the Demi-Saiyan's face told her he was not going to be one to wait very long no matter what she said.

18 realized everyone's eyes were on her, causing her to blush slightly, "I think we could do it."

Goten smiled the most Goku-like smile Marron had ever seen him smile and lifted her off the ground, spinning her around. "Hear that? One month, Marron!" He cried out joyfully. Marron giggled,

"That should be enough time to plan it," She gave her mother a look with a hint of skepticism, but seeing Goten's reaction, 18 could do nothing but smile,

"Should be," She remarked, her head leaning into the palm of her hand, watching Goten twirl Marron around in place.

Krillin and Pan were jumping up and down estatically, both eager for the wedding and excited at the prospect of Goten and Marron's union. Roshi sighed and leaned onto Nimbus, glad to be reminded of young love once again. _It'd been a while_, he thought. Gohan laid a hand around Videl's waist and pulled his wife towards him, happy for his younger brother, who'd finally found someone that he truly cared for. Chi Chi merely sighed and ran a hand through her hair, ignoring the white strands poking out of her bangs. Her son was finally getting married, and soon, she knew it would be soon, she'd have a grandchild on the way. One month was plenty of time to wait, and it'd go by fast; there was so much to be done in so little time...

The Briefs house was unusually quiet; Bulma stared out the window from the kitchen sink, her hands covered in soapy suds from the dishes she was washing. Vegeta had the paper in one hand, trying to find something interesting to read or look at, a glass of saki firmly shoved in his hand. Trunks was finishing up his meal, wiping his mouth with a white napkin, and Bra was tapping her feet on the ground, a thoroughly sullen look cast on her face.

"Daddy, I want to go see Uub," Bra whined, her blue hair laying on her shoulders.

"And Bra, I told you no," Vegeta snapped, "Not now; finish your meal." He motioned towards her plate.

The Demi-Saiyan shook her head, "I'm not hungry."

"Then starve," Vegeta put the paper down and reached for her plate, shoving it in front of Trunks. "Finish eating it for her, son." He said with a dark look and went back to reading his paper.

Bra gave her father a whiny, stubborn look, but kept her mouth shut. She didn't feel like ticking her father off today.

Trunks took a bite of Bra's eggs and looked up towards the phone. _I wonder if they'll call or come over..._

"What are you staring at?" Bulma cut in, interupting Trunks' thoughts.

"Huh?" He answered groggily.

"She wants to know what you're staring at," Vegeta repeated with an angry voice.

"Oh, nothing...just spacing out," Trunks' cheeks turned pink.

"You've been doing that a lot lately," Bra remarked, twisting her blue hair with her finger. Vegeta grimaced as he watched her put the twisted strand in her mouth.

"Honestly, can you do something other than eat your hair?" He said with a disgusted voice, and Bra's flushed,

"Daddy! I'm not eating my hair!" She slammed her hands onto the table.

"You might as well be!" Vegeta slurped the rest of his saki.

"Who are you to talk about manners?" Bulma snapped, giving her husband a glare, "I have to drag you in to get a shower once a week at least, and you're telling your daughter to stop putting her hair in her mouth?"

"Yes," Vegeta said bluntly.

"Well stop it!" Bulma exclaimed and turned around swiftly and began scrubbing the dishes without end.

Vegeta snorted and went back to reading his paper; Trunks sighed and took another bite of food.

"Thanks, mom," Bra said with an innocent voice, a lock of hair in her mouth.

"Quit eating your hair," Bulma snapped, not turning around to see her daughter.

Bra blushed and tossed the lock down with an angry stare. Vegeta smirked towards his wife. _Only my wife..._

_**RINGGGGGGG!**_

****Bulma quickly picked up the phone that had broken the silence. "Hello?" She said with a pleasant voice. "Oh! Hi, Videl."

"Hmmph," Vegeta snorted, "Always talking to her..."

"As opposed to?" Trunks said mildly. Vegeta shot him a deadly sneer, and the Demi-Saiyan silenced himself.

"Oh! Uh, what did you say?" Bulma held the phone closer, as if it'd help her hear better. "You...are you _SERIOUS_?" She said in a loud voice. Trunks, Vegeta, and Bra all stared at her with mild curiousity.

There was a long pause, and Bulma's eyes widened, "Are you sure that'll be enough time?" She asked with slight concern.

"What are they talking about?" Bra asked, her eyes narrowed.

"Beats me," Trunks replied, finishing off Bra's plate.

"Probably some flea market or something...whatever they do," Vegeta turned the page of his paper, the curiosity draining from his face.

"Well, I guess that would work out," Bulma pulled the plug on the sink and started to dry her hands, the phone tucked between her ear and shoulder, "Wow, that's amazing...I wouldn't have guessed so soon." She shot her family a glance and then smiled, "Of course you all could come over."

"WHAT?" Vegeta roared, the paper falling out of his hands, "NO! They are NOT coming over!"

"Hush up," Bulma glared, placing her hand over the phone for a moment, then returning it to her ear, "What? Oh, that was Vegeta...yeah, I know..."

"You'd better not be having them over!" The Saiyan Prince said angrily.

"I'll have them over if I want to, Vegeta," Bulma said with a snap. "Huh? Oh, that's okay! You can come over!"

"They'll eat us out of house and home...," Vegeta grumbled, "Kakorot's clan..._here_...the very idea!"

"They've come over before, dad," Trunks said with a small smile.

Vegeta growled, "Did I ask for your input?"

Trunks silenced himself again. Bra sighed and rested her elbows on the table, her head in her hands.

"Oh...well if you're busy...okay...," Bulma shot her husband a malicious stare, but he wasn't looking at her, "Oh! You do? Well! That's an honor! I'll make sure to tell him! Sure! Okay, Videl! Tell them I'm so happy for them! Bye!" She hung up the phone and marched towards her husband.

"Is the freak show coming here?" Vegeta said with a smirk, knowing he was about to get nagged at.

"NO, THEY'RE NOT!" Bulma yelled, her face tight with anger, "Not after that childish yelling you did!"

"Good...we don't need them over here, anyway," Vegeta frowned, "What'd that woman want anyway?"

"Well," Bulma placed a hand on her chest and sighed, smiling deeply. "I believe that a joyous occasion is going to occur."

Trunks immediately looked to Bra, who bore a curious and confused glance. He knew what the surprise was already; Goten had told him he was going to propose. _Bra's not going to want to hear this..._

"What? Don't tell me that wife of Kakarot's brat is having another child?" Vegeta almost laughed at the idea.

"Videl's pregnant?" Bra asked, her face full of confusion.

"No, no!" Bulma wanted to slap her husband so hard for being so obnoxious, "That's not it...Bra," She looked to her daughter with a sensitive look, "You aren't going to like to hear this..."

_Oh, boy, _Trunks thought and backed his chair up a bit. His father gave him a curious glance.

"Why? Why am I not going to like this?" Bra's curious confused look became instantly a look of fierceness.

"Just spit it out, woman," Vegeta said with a disgusted glance to his wife. He hated stalling like this.

"Oh, well...," Bulma cleared her throat. "Goten has asked Marron to marry him."

There was an awkward silence that followed. Trunks sighed, Bra was breathless, and Vegeta shot his wife another disgusted look.

"What? Kakorot's brat...that child of Krillin's?" He said in almost a shocked voice.

"Yes, dear," Bulma said gently.

"I thought they already were engaged...by that fruit or whatever," The Saiyan frowned.

"Well, this is an actual engagement...they're getting married in a month." Bulma shot her daughter a look of concern.

Bra merely looked like she was in a trance, her eyes misty. Trunks smiled grimly,

"Goten told me he was going to ask her...He asked if I'd be the best man," He said with a smile.

"That's what Videl told me," Bulma gave her son a proud look, "That's such an honor...being your best friend's best man...how sweet..."

"Kakorot's _best man_? What's a best man?" Vegeta shot his wife a confused stare. He didn't like this term_ 'best man.'_

"That just means he'll be the main man beside Goten when he's married...we didn't HAVE a best man, remember?" She frowned, her hands on her hips. "Actually, we didn't have much of a wedding, come to think of it."

"Fancy ceremonies are overrated," Vegeta frowned, draining his saki.

Bulma sighed, "I guess you're right. Bra," She looked towards her daughter, who'd snapped out of her trance, "I know this is hard for you..."

"Hard?" Suddenly, Bra's eyes were full of fire, "Why is it hard for me? This is nothing," She stood up, her back straightened proudly. "Why should I be jealous or anything?" She said with a strong voice, "I have Uub now...I dont' need Goten for anything! So why should I be upset he's with someone else?" She paused and gave her family a slight smile tracing her face, "Good for him," And with that she strolled out of the kitchen and disappeared behind the corner.

The Briefs watched her go wtih their mouths gaped open slightly, each one looking at one another with disbelief.

Bulma let out a huge exhale of air, "Was that our daughter?" She looked down at Vegeta, who nodded his head, but looked mildly surprised.

"Wow...that went a _LOT _better than I expected," Trunks said with a shocked expression on his face.

"Soooo," Bulma still appeared in shock of her daughter's actions, "Should we go and congratulate the newly engaged?"

"How about we don't and say we did?" Vegeta murmured. Bulma gave him a mildly amused look.

****His wife leaned over and gave him a small peck on the cheek, "Would you do this for me, Vegeta? Please?" She gave him another small peck and the Saiyan Prince's face turned crimson. Trunks turned away to keep from laughing out loud.

"What is this? You're not bribing me to do anything!" The Prince roared.

"Oh really?" Bulma said sweetly, "What if I--" Then she whispered something into the Saiyan Prince's ear that Trunks couldn't hear. The Saiyan's eyes lit up and he gave his wife a startled look.

"What--you---what?" He stammered.

Bulma batted her eyelashes, "Would I lie about something like that?"

The prince's face lit up with an evil smirk, "Fine. But you keep your word when we get back," He said as he stood up. "Boy," He glared at his son, "Get your sister. We're going to Kakarot's wife's house." He grabbed Bulma by the waist and led her quickly out the door. Before they disappeared outside, Bulma gave her son a wink.

Trunks sighed and stood up. _Do I really want to know what she told him to convince him to go to Goku's? _He thought for a second.

_No...I don't think I do..._

_**And that's the chapter! It took so long to write..I'm so sorry i kept you guys waiting too:( I hope it wasn't too lame for you! I wanted it to be funnier..but it didn't work out that way...apologies!**_

_**Anyway, next chapter, Bra and Uub reunite, and Goten and Marron have some fun planning for their wedding...things steam up, folks! For both couples! bwahahahaha, stay tuned for that!**_

_**You guys are the BOMB and so cool, and I want to thank each and every one of you for all the support you've given me! I'll update as soon as I can! Please don't hesitate to comment or drop me a line on how you think the story's going! Oh, LOST is on! Gotta go check it out! Catch ya later! You guys ROCK! I LUV YA ALL!**_

_**Peace out and rock ROCK ON!**_

_**Romania Black**_


	29. Planning The Wedding

The Taming of the Saiyan

By Romania Black

_**Hey all! Wow, this chapter took NO TIME AT ALL to write! I was so ready to do this chapter, no kidding! Plus, a long four day weekend helps too! ha ha ha! Anyway, this is Chapter Twenty Nine, and I love this chapter so much! I hope you like it as much as I do! It's not what I expected it to turn out to be..but I think its WAAAAY better than I had planned..so anyway:**_

_**As usual, rated T for TEEN, due to mild violence, alcohol referance and consumption, mild sexual themes, and brief language...**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own anything of Akira Toriyama! But if he wants to use any of my ideas...GO FOR IT!!! **_

**_NOTE: The story switches back and forth quite frequently from three different settings, so if you get confused, just remember that it goes from the Chi Chi house, to the sparring area behind Chi Chi's house, and rotates with Uub and Bra. Those are the three locations of this chapter, just to make things more clear. Thanks! _**

_**Reviews:**_

**_Witch of Erie Knoll: YAY! A long funny review! I love reviews like this..they're so funny! They inspire me too! ha ha ha, I definately have an IMAGINATION OVERLOAD when I think of what Bulma was implying..bwahahaha, but only I know what it was! MWHAHAHAAHHAAAA!!! -clears throat- Ahem, anywhoo, thanks for thinking that chapter wasn't lame! ha ha ha, I'm not a good judge on whether my chapters are good or not...so its good to hear they're okay. LOL, and that wasn't a bad joke..it was hilarious! LOL and you're drinking with Trunks? And its Rum? Can I join you guys? -Please, please?- ha ha, here's to DBZ character drinking parties and I hope you like this chapter! Thanks so much for the review!_**

**_Kumori Ookami: Yeah! If Videl was pregnant...00 creepy! LOL, and yeah, Krillin is a little lacking in the husband department sometimes! ha ha ha, that's okay about your computer..it happens to the best of us! LOL, Bra took the whole thing well I thought too and thanks for thinking their such a cute couple! I think they are too! LOL, I'll update as soon as I can, well, thanks so much for the review and the compliment! awww!!! Enjoy the story!_**

**_Sinful Sakura: LOL, what is nummy maplestory? -confused look- anywhoo, thanks so much for the review! I'm excited that you're excited about the next chapter! LOL, isn't that crazy! Yeah, I'll go tell Roshi to get a job too! ha ha ha, Thanks for the good review! I'm soo happy that everyone liked the last chapter that much! Well, enjoy the chapter and I hope it meets up to your expectations..or close to it anyway! _**

_**You guys are so awesome! The reviews and comments have not only been helpful, but they've inspired me in so many ways with this story and have really helped me when I was crunched for an idea or suggestion...THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! I LOVE ALL OF YOU! Seriously, there is no way I can repay you all for all the help you've done for me! Thanks again, and feel free to leave me a comment or review of how you're liking the story or any suggestion for it you have. I'm grateful and appreciative of every one I recieve! Thanks a million! Peace out, and Rock ROCK ON!**_

_**Enjoy the Story!**_

_**Romania Black**_

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Planning the Wedding

Goten and Marron held hands as they sat on the living room floor of Chi Chi's house, several yellow-paged notepads laying out in front of them with some pens, envelopes, and stamps. Chi Chi was in the kitchen readily making everyone limade and humming a melodious happy tune, while Videl and 18 discussed their own marriages on the couch. Gohan, Roshi, and Krillin had made their way to the kitchen table to discuss things that mainly included the good old days and Goku of course. The whole house was jittery with the news of Marron and Goten's marriage. Pan bounded into the living room and slid onto the carpet to sit in front of Marron and Goten.

"So," The raven-haired girl said with abundant enthusiasm, "The wedding's in a month right?"

"We agreed on that," Marron smiled.

"Yeah, so," Pan burst out excitedly, "Who's going to do what in the wedding? Who's the best man, who's the flower girl, who's--"

"Woah, woah, woah," Marron thrusted out a hand to stop Pan, "Easy there. We haven't decided all of that yet," She said with a weakened voice. She was already dreading planning the whole affair out.

"Oh," Pan said in a slightly disappointed voice.

"You could be the maid of honor," Goten burst out. Marron shot him a look,

"What?"

"Come on, Pan's the one that really connected us," He smiled and poked Marron in the ribs, who gave a gently grin, "Besides, she's my niece...she's family! She has to have an important job."

"Yeah, Marron!" Pan said with a broad smile that suddenly grew serious, "I don't want to be a stinkin' flower girl! That's boring!"

"Well," Marron hadn't expected Pan to be their Maid of honor, but at the moment, she couldn't think of anyone else to do it either. "I guess you can be the Maid of Honor, Pan." She said with a slow forming smile.

Pan's eyes gleamed in the light of the living room, "Cool! Hey mom," She called out to Videl on the couch, "I'm going to be the Maid of Honor!"

Videl shook her head lightly, while 18 looked both surprised and amused, "Well that makes sense," Videl said with a small laugh. "How long'd it take to con them into letting you have that position?"

Pan blushed, but Goten shook his head, "No conning," He grinned, "I want her to be the Maid of Honor," He suddenly looked towards Marron, "Uh...if that's alright with you."

Marron smiled softly, "No, it's fine."

"I figured I could pick out the best man and Maid of Honor, and you could pick out the rest...if you want," Goten said sheepishly.

"That sounds great," Marron said, jotting Pan's name onto one of the yellow pads of paper, "And the best man--"

"Trunks," Goten smiled widely, "Who on earth would I choose other than him?" He noticed Pan's face turn a pale pink but thought nothing of it.

"Okay then...wow," Marron paused and bore a pensive look, "Who else will we have as bridesmaids and bridesgrooms?" She said with a hint of concern in her voice.

"Uh, I don't know," Goten admitted, scratching the back of his head, "I thought you'd know someone to do it," He said with a shrug.

Marron sighed, and turned the page. She'd think of future bridesmaids and grooms later. "Okay, so what now?"

"The food," Goten replied immediately, "That's important."

"Of course," Marron sighed, wondering how she could have not seen it coming, "The food. Well...what will we be having?"

"I think the better question," Gohan shouted from the kitchen table, "Is what will NOT be there!"

"No kidding," Krillin smiled sincerely, "This is a Saiyan's wedding...trust me, the type of food isn't important, it's the quantity."

"Dear lord," 18 shook her head, "Remember Gohan's wedding?"

Krillin laughed out loud, "Yeah! Eight tables of food!"

"And that was just for Goten and Trunks," Videl added with a smile.

The group laughed reminescently; Pan just gave the group a confused look.

"Of course, that was before you dear," Videl said calmly, reaching out and patting her daughter's shoulder.

"I can't remember eating more food," Goten smiled at the memory. "What a night," He smiled and looked towards his future wife, "Let's just get as much of everything as we can! This is going to be a huge celebration!"

"That's great and everything," Marron sighed, "But who's going to pay for all that food?"

The room went silent. Goten looked pensive, as did everyone else.

"Chi Chi, didn't you make the food for Gohan's wedding?" Videl spoke up from the silence.

"Yes," The woman said firmly from the kitchen, "But it took me longer than a month to set everything up for that." She turned from Videl back to the limade she was pouring into glasses. "So I don't know...and it took so long to order the food too."

"I hadn't thought of that," Videl said quietly.

**_Knock! Knock! Knock!_**

****The rapping brought everyone's attention towards the back door.

"Will someone get that?" Chi Chi called out, while pouring the limade.

"I will," Pan jumped up and ran towards the back door, her feet sliding slightly on the carpet as she rushed past Goten and Marron, who had started talking about food again.

Pan reached the back door in a few seconds, and could hear a small voice from the other side; the voice didn't sound too thrilled.

"Honestly," the voice rasped, "They're obviously not home," Pan could make out Vegeta's harsh voice perfectly, "Maybe we should just go back--"

"Don't be stupid, dear," said a voice that sounded like Bulma's, "We've come this far--"

"Just knock again," A voice that was definately Trunks' said with slight impatience.

Just as Vegeta reached out a hand to knock on the door, Pan opened it up. The Saiyan's eyes widened.

"Oh, hi, Pan!" Bulma said sweetly, grasping Vegeta's arm. "Are we interupting anything?"

"What a dumb quest--" Vegeta started, but Bulma elbowed him in the ribs hard enough to shut him up. The Saiyan winced as Pan smiled,

"Nope, we were just talking about the wedding," She suddenly paused, "I assume you know about that by now?"

"Yeah, we got the memo--" Vegeta mumbled viciously, but was elbowed again.

Bulma scowled at him, then gave Pan a pleasant smile, "Yes, Videl told us over the phone a while ago. Can we come in?"

Vegeta looked like he wanted to say something very badly, but the knowledge that he'd get elbowed again stopped him from saying anything.

"Sure, come on in," Pan motioned them inside and held the door as they walked through.

As Bulma slipped past, Vegeta craned his neck and whispered to Trunks, "Seriously, 'Can we come in?' What was the brat going to do, shut the door on us?"

"She's just being curtious," Trunks sighed.

"But such a stupid question!" Vegeta mumbled as the three slipped into the kitchen.

Pan shut the door behind them, "Where's Bra?" She asked curiously.

"She didn't want to come over," Bulma said with a hint of sadness in her voice.

"She's out with Uub?" Pan asked innocently.

A vein popped on Vegeta's head, but Bulma took no notice of it, "I'm sure she is," She gave her husband a sharp look. Trunks stepped in front of his parents and made his way straight into the living room. Goten noticed his best friend and quickly stood up and locked fists with the Demi-Saiyan.

"Man, you made it," Goten smiled.

"My best friend getting married, and you didn't think I'd show up to celebrate?" Trunks said with a mild look of disbelief. He turned to Marron who was smiling at him, "Hey, Marron! Hello, Videl. 18," He bowed his head slightly to the two women on the couch and they nodded back.

"Hi, Trunks," Videl said with a smile.

"Gohan...Krillin..._Roshi_? Is that you?" Trunks said in disbelief as he approached the kitchen table.

Bulma, who had been saying hello to Chi Chi with Vegeta tight by her side, suddenly looked over Chi Chi's shoulder and her jaw dropped.

"_ROSHI_?!?" She yelled and let go of Vegeta, rushing to the table. Chi Chi and Vegeta locked eyes for a moment then immediately turned from each other.

"Bulma...eh," Roshi drooled slightly, "Been awhile, huh?"

"You're supposed to be dead!" She said in slight outrage. Vegeta was watching Chi Chi finish pouring the limade.

"For the last time, why does no one get the memos I leave for people! I was on vacation okay?" Roshi said, his cheeks red. "By the way, who said the house was yours after I left?" He snorted.

Bulma's face turned a cherry red and she quickly looked at the wall, "Uhmm...well, you know..."

"You didn't give it to her?" Vegeta let out a harsh laugh, "_Ha_, woman, you filthy liar!" He cackled and grabbed a glass of the limade and drank it in an instant. Chi Chi gave him a flustered look, but let him finish the glass before pouring him another.

"Shut it," Bulma said, her lips tight, "Roshi, you would have gave me the house anyway, wouldn't you?"

"Maybe," The martial arts master grinned slyly, "And maybe not," He winked at Bulma, who looked disgusted.

"So, you're thinking twenty tables of food?" Trunks cut into the conversation, looking directly at Goten, who nodded.

"_TWENTY _tables?" 18 and Krillin chimed in together.

"Well, yeah," Goten said with a childish grin, "There's going to be a lot of people there."

"But that's so much," 18 said with a concerned look.

"What are you talking about?" Bulma interupted, ignoring Roshi's hungry stare.

"We were deciding how much food to get for the wedding," Videl updated her, "But we're not sure how to get it all. My dad has some money he can chip in for the food...we have cooks too, but I have to see who's all on duty a month from now..."

"You could have just asked me," Bulma placed her hands on her hips. "I'm sure the company can donate the food. I'll put in a good word for you guys...after all, Goten's my son's best friend, and Trunks is the Best Man in the wedding!"

"Could you do that for us Bulma?" Videl smiled in relief.

"That'd be wonderful," 18 said with a small smile.

"Bet it'd be nice to have that kind of money lying about," Chi Chi murmured under her breath, shooting Bulma a nasty look.

"I can't believe we're having this stupid conversation," Vegeta mumbled angrily, "So pathetic," He drained his glass, "Another..." He looked to Chi Chi, whose lips were pursed very curtly. The Saiyan realized he'd have to work for this, "_Please_," He mumbled against his will. Chi Chi smiled triumphantly and poured him another glass as she started to hand out the rest of the glasses of limade.

"Of course," Bulma said with a smile, "Videl and I can arrange it, right?"

"Sure," Videl's blue eyes lit up, "Well, there you go, Marron! We've got the food out of the way!"

"Great," Marron finished jotting down notes and names on her notepad. "Now what?" As the small group in the living room started talking again, Pan stood up and made her way into the kitchen area.

"Dad," Pan was beside Gohan at the kitchen table, "Can we do something?"

"Like what?" Gohan said with curiousity etched onto his face.

"I don't know...this is kind of boring," Pan didn't realize how long this wedding planning was going to take.

"Well, what do you want to do?" Gohan said quietly, as Vegeta gulped down his limade, edging towards the table past Chi Chi.

"Can't you and Krillin and Roshi come out and spar with me?" Pan asked eagerly. The three at the table looked at each other uneasily.

"Roshi and I are pretty rusty," Krillin admitted, running his hand through his graying hair. "Not too much of a contest for you I'm afraid."

Vegeta edged closer, listening to their conversation, _It wasn't a contest when they weren't rusty..._The Prince thought with a smirk.

"Sweetheart, you know I'd want to," Gohan said with a nervous voice, "But you're my daughter and I...," His voice was uneasy.

"You what?" Pan said, her smile turning into a frown. Vegeta was now perfectly within hearing range. Gohan gave her a sad look.

"I don't...Pan, I just can't...I don't--"

"Don't want to hurt her, do you?" Vegeta's voice shot out of the quiet, and the three at the table minus Pan jumped at his voice. The rest in the house were too busy discussing flower arrangements to care to much of what they were saying.

"That's not it," Gohan started, his face glaring at Vegeta.

"Of course it is," The Saiyan smirked, "That's always been your weakness," He said and looked towards Pan, "You want a sparring partner?"

Pan nodded her head, "Yeah."

"Is there a training facility here?" He asked sternly.

"We have a small area out back in the yard," Pan said quietly, pointing to the door beside them.

"Then let's go," Vegeta said with a serious face.

Pan's face paled slightly, she hadn't forgotten the fight with the Bebi-posessed Vegeta. "What?"

"You heard me, I'm going to spar with you, girl. Unless you're afraid," He arched his eyebrows menacingly.

Pan shook her head violently, "No, you're on!" She bounded out the door fearlessly. Gohan grabbed Vegeta by the wrist,

"What are you doing?"

"What does it look like," Vegeta growled. "What a stupid question, I'm going out to spar with that brat of yours."

"And why are you doing that?" Gohan and Vegeta seemed oblivious to Roshi and Krillin sitting beside them.

"Because one, this place is a pathetic and the conversation is even worse; two, I'm interested to see how strong your daughter is now; three, since you're such a pathetic excuse for a father, I figured this was the only decent thing I could do for the child." He released himself from Gohan's grip and stormed out the door.

Gohan sat in silence for a moment, then turned to Roshi and Krillin, "So, you think I'm a bad father, too?"

"What? No, Gohan," Krillin smiled reassuringly, "Vegeta's blowing steam; I never fought Marron, and she thinks I'm a good father."

"Yes, but Marron and Pan aren't alike," Gohan sighed and stood up, walking past Roshi and Krillin and towards the back door.

"Where're you going?" Goten hollered at his brother, as he opened the door.

"Just to fly around," Gohan said with a small sigh, "I'll be back shortly." He opened the door and exited quickly.

The others in the living room looked at each other, "What was that about?" Videl looked towards the kitchen table.

Roshi and Krillin looked at each other and frowned, neither wanting to say what had happened. "Nothing," They said at once.

Videl sighed, realizing they weren't going to be much help answering her question.

Bra pulled the red car towards the edge of the sidewalk and put it into park. She'd hoped that he wasn't near the window of the gym to see her pull up. She wanted this to be a surprise.

Tying back her blue hair with a black ribbon, she adjusted the black lace halter top she was wearing and stepped out of the vehicle; it was obvious, Bra was dressed to kill. She straightened her denim jean leg and carefully strided up to the gym entrance, locking the car as she did so.

Carefully opening the door, she slid through into the gym and shut the door silently behind her.The gym was quiet, but she could see the gravity capsule shake slightly, and knew Uub was probably inside it blasting away at some simulation as if it was the end of the world.

_He gets so intense about his training, _Bra thought with a smirk as she tossed her purse down on one of the gym's equipment pieces.

She walked towards the entrance to the training chamber and made sure her shirt was just right. Curling a lock of her aqua hair behind her ear, she slowly opened the door to the chamber and slid into the room.

Uub was fiercely kicking at some kind of alien looking monster that was green with hairy feelers jutting out of its head. Had Bra not known it was going to be a simulation, she would have probably been scared senseless. However, seeing that it was just a computer generated monster, Bra sighed with relief and eased towards the opposite wall of Uub and watched him battle the simulated bug creature.

After a few moments, several kicks and punches, and what seemed like five gallons of sweat later, Uub finally reached over and turned the simulation off. He'd had enough of the Trekilian Creature for today...he'd had enough of any alien, for that matter. Level 14 was good enough to end the day with. Uub ran a hand to his forehead, and turned around only to be nearly scared out of his skin by Bra, who was standing by the door with an amused look on her face.

"Well, hello there," She said with an evil charm to her voice.

Uub couldn't believe it was her; it'd seemed like so long since he'd seen her. She looked stunning with her hair pulled up and the lacy black top she wore seemed to make her even more mysterious and alluring.

"You...you're...you're...," Uub couldn't finish the sentence.

"Here? Of course I am," Bra said with a smirk, twirling a bit of her hair with one of her fingers.

"But...I thought your dad...he said..."

"That's in the past," Bra walked towards him with a slow stare on her face, "Did you really think I'd let him keep us apart?" She said softly.

_Not really, _"I figured he couldn't forever...but...how'd you do it, Bra?" Uub asked with sudden interest and concern.

Bra wrapped her arms around Uub's sweaty neck, and her could smell the lilac perfume on her neck, "Let's not focus on the hows and whens, shall we? That doesn't matter to me," She smiled serenely, "What matters is that I am with you...and no one can tear us apart right now."

"So," Uub's face turned red for a moment, "What do you...want to...do?"

Bra smiled wickedly and innocently examined his shoulders, "Oh, you're tense, Uub...really tense." She rubbed his shoulder with her arms.

"Uhhh," Uub watched her massage his shoulder. He had to admit it felt better, "Uh, what are you--"

"You're so tense, Uub," Bra smiled casually. "Sit down and I'll give you a massage if you want..."

Uub's muscles tensed for a moment, "Wait...wait, Bra."

"What?" She said with a naive look on her face.

"I don't want to start anything that'll end with...something you're father will kill me over," Uub said as mildly as he could.

Bra frowned for a moment, "Oh, I'm not going to try anything with you, don't worry...just lay down and I'll give you a massage...you're too tense to train anymore without one." She put pressure on his shoulders and he sat himself down on the floor.

Uub gave her a nervous glance, "Okay...I'm going to trust you on this one..." He said nervously.

Bra smiled a slightly wicked grin, "Well, that's a good thing."

Marron shifted her weight from where she was sitting and looked over to Goten, who was glad that the whole flower arrangements were almost completed. The blonde noticed his bored look and examined her yellow notes once more.

"So we agreed on daisies and white roses. Does that sound good to you, Goten?" Marron asked sincerely.

"Sounds fabulous," Goten said with a slightly false smile. To be truthful, he didn't care what flower they had picked at all. Flowers weren't his favorite subject.

"Okay, so that's settled," Marron jotted down a quick note on the yellow notepad, "Now, let's talk about the place of the wedding," She said, looking towards Goten. "What did you have in mind?"

"I don't know...how about a traditional church?" Goten liked tradition, sometimes anyway. "Nice and simple."

"Well, that's a good idea..." It was obvious Marron wasn't thrilled by his answer, as her voice sounded slightly less than enthused.

"What, you want it somewhere else?" Goten said, realizing she didn't like the church idea.

"It's just that, I wanted our wedding to be somewhere special..and not the way normal couples marry," She noticed 18's head jerk towards them at the mention of the word, 'normal'. "I just want it to be something to remember."

"You know," Videl said with a small cough, "You could get married on a mountain edge...I always thought that'd be romantic."

"Eh," Marron grimaced, "Volcano tops and mountains aren't the fondest places I would pick for a wedding."

"But you can fly now, so no worries," Goten said with a smirk.

Marron gave him a sarcastic laugh, "Yeah, sure! That's one way to look at it."

"Where else would you consider, Marron?" The Android said softly.

"I don't know...a church just seems so...traditional...and Goten and I are far from traditional," She squeezed his hand tighter as she said this.

"Well, what about on the beach at Roshi's," Goten said without really thinking about what he was saying, "Right where we first," His eyes shot up to Videl and 18, who were watching them, "first kissed," he said and his cheeks barely flushed pink.

Marron smiled wide and her eyes glimmered, "Oh, Goten, that sounds wonderful! That is so romantic! Mom," She turned to 18, "What'd you think? The beach?"

"That's nice, but its so small," 18 remarked, her finger pensively tracing her face. "There won't be a lot of room for people."

"We can have them stand on the coastline, by the road...even on Roshi's house if we have to!" Goten said with eagerness in his voice.

"What's this about my house?" Roshi asked from the table, but he was ignored.

"Well, I suppose..." 18's voice trailed off.

"Oh, this is exciting! I love it!" Marron giggled, and ringed her hands together in happiness. ''

Videl and 18 gave each other a look and smiled; each remembering the excitement that Marron had had once been theirs as well.

Pan led Vegeta out onto the landing behind their house where a small patch of ground had been cleared of debris and resembled the ring at the World Martial Arts Tournament. Pan smiled as Vegeta walked past her and surveyed the area. He kicked at the ground with his foot.

"So this is it? Who made this?" He asked with slight stubborness in his voice.

"I cleared the area a few months ago," Pan said with a hint of pride in her voice.

"Heh," Vegeta sensed the pride, "Anyone could do this," He smirked as he saw her face crumple then grow angrier.

"Well, it wasn't easy!" She retorted, her face slightly redder, "Grandma can't afford a gravity chamber," She said with pink cheeks.

"Ah, well, I would imagine," Vegeta said slyly and came face to face with her, looking down to see her. She had grown a few inches in a year, but she was still short. "Ready to spar?" He asked with a serious edge to his voice.

She tossed back her near-shoulder length black hair and crouched down, ready for the onslaught she knew Vegeta would bring, "Ready." She was ready for whatever he had to toss at her.

The Saiyan did not crouch down in a fighting stance, but instead rushed towards Pan, who had not expected this, and tried to knock her off her feet. Instead, she quickly jumped into the air and dodged the attempted blow. Pan thrusted her fist forward to punch Vegeta, but he caught her hand in midair, and slammed her body into the ground. He laughed as he watched Pan pick herself up off the ground.

"Nice dodge, but it was stupid to try and punch me like that," He smiled wickedly, "You should know better."

"Well, its not like I have anyone to teach me," Pan said with a huff.

"Not my fault," Vegeta shrugged, "I have no use for whiners," He pointed to Pan. "You make YOURSELF better...no one can do that for you, do you understand that?"

"Well, yeah--"

"Then quit whining and making excuses!" Vegeta shouted and rushed towards her again, but this time, she was ready. Pan jumped up into the air and slammed her elbow hard onto the back of Vegeta's neck, causing him to falter and stop in his place for a moment. He turned and gave her a twisted smile, "Well, that was much better!" _Still weak...but she's getting better..._

Bra tossed her hair behind her shoulder as she gave Uub a soothing neck massage. She winced slightly as she felt all the knots in his upper back and neck. _Geez..has he never loosened any of these? _

"Something wrong?" Uub could see the odd face she made out of the corner of his eye.

"No, but you have the worst knots of anyone I've ever seen," Bra said in a strained voice as she rubbed on his neck even harder.

"And how many people have had the priveledge of your massages?" Uub said with a faint trace of cunning in his voice.

"Too many for me, not enough to take off my shoes and count along with my fingers," Bra said, a small grunt escaping her voice as she worked out the tension in his neck. Uub chuckled,

"Oh, okay, just making sure these weren't for any Joe Blow that walked in for you," He said with a smirk.

"Hardy har har," Bra mused, "Trust me, you're not just any Joe Blow, to be sure." She squeezed a muscle on his neck and he grimaced for a moment, then relaxed.

"Wow, that does feel better," He said with a sigh. Bra smiled the first warm smile she'd had for ages.

"Well, good...I'm glad you like it," She said playfully.

"So, what about guests," Marron asked Goten, her eyes scanning his dark ones with curiosity. "How many people should we invite?"

"Well, if it was up to me, I'd say at least a hundred...more if we can," Goten smiled childishly.

"That's so many..." Marron said pensively. "What about fifty."

"But a hundred sounds so much better," Goten protested.

"Goten, we don't KNOW a hundred people," Marron remarked, her hands on her hips, giving him a look that clearly stated _I'm-right-listen-to-me_.

"Sure we do, we just don't remember them all," Goten smiled innocently and started writing their names on a piece of yellow notepad paper. "Here, I'll right them out or start to anyway, and you start on another topic," The Demi-Saiyan said as he scribbled on the paper.

Marron sighed, "Fine. You do that, Goten." She looked to her mother for some sort of advice. 18 shook her head and smiled,

"Best let Goten take care of that...he knows what he's doing," She said quietly.

"I know," Marron said with a frown, "So what can I do now?"

"Well, we have the flowers, the location, the main maid and best man--"

"The other bridesmaids!" Marron groaned, "I don't know who to pick for that! How many are there usually?"

"I think it depends," Videl said pondering the question, "I had two bridesmaids in mine."

"I think I had three," 18 said bluntly.

"So two or three?" Marron scanned her mother and Videl's faces for an answer. "Okay...uhm...well Pan's the Maid of Honor...I could get...what about Lunch? Would she do it?"

18 looked mildly surprised, "I think she would...if we could find her."

"And you're thinking Tien be a bridesgroom?" Videl asked.

"I guess," Marron shrugged. "Now all I have to do is find another couple to walk in and we're set..." her voice trailed off.

"Does Trunks have to walk in with Pan then?" Bulma said out of the air. The people on the ground stared at her in silence. "Well?"

Marron smiled sweetly, "One would assume..."

"Are you serious?" Bulma did not like the idea of Trunks and Pan walking in together.

"It's okay, mom," Trunks said, looking slightly embarassed. "I don't mind."

Bulma's face contorted, "Well, you should mind!"

"Why don't you approve of it?" 18 said with a faint smile.

"Well...they're...," Bulma's face turned red, "They're...Pan's so much shorter than Trunks! It'll look awkward!" She lied.

"Oh really?" Videl said with a challenging tone, "And who would you have walk in with her instead?"

Bulma held her breath, trying to think of anyone who could do the job other than her son. "Trunks could walk in with Lunch," She said slowly.

"But then he wouldn't be in the right spot for the Best Man," Marron frowned.

"Yeah, and then Pan would have to walk in with Tien...he's even taller than Trunks!" Goten added with a odd glance towards Bulma, wondering why it was such a problem with her.

Trunks sighed and rested his hands behind his back, "Mom, it's okay...I can walk in with Pan, it's not that big of a deal."

Bulma huffed and wanted to say something else, but no words seemed to form in her mind. So instead she crossed her arms stubbornly and gave her son a tight lipped stare, "Fine. Whatever...if you don't mind..."

"I don't," Trunks added with some finality to his voice. His brow furrowed very much like Vegeta's did when he wanted to end a conversation.

Roshi and Krillin looked at the group in the living room from the kitchen table, each bearing a slightly nervous expression.

"That boy looks more and more like Vegeta every day," Roshi said in a small voice.

"Heh heh, you're right," Krillin said in a small chuckle, "You now Bulma's gotta hate that..."

Vegeta thrusted his elbow back to nail Pan in the stomach, but the girl did a back flip and dodged it. She rushed forward to charge at Vegeta, but the Saiyan merely threw his fist forward and knocked Pan to the ground with a satisfying _THUD_.

"You're faster than I imagined, I'll give you that," Vegeta said with a smug smirk, "But you keep charging at me like an idiot."

Pan lifted herself off the ground slowly, "What do you expect me to do?" She said with a snap.

"THINK, Pan! Think before you charge at someone ten times as strong as you!" Vegeta roared, "That's what I want you to do!"

She huffed and threw her hair out of her face, smiled and whispered, "You're not ten times as strong as me."

Vegeta's eyes grew wide, "What did you say?" He said in a surprised voice.

"_HIIIIYYAAAAAHHHHH_!!!" Pan flew forward with incredible speed and prepared to take Vegeta head on. The Saiyan smiled darkly, _She never learns,_ he thought a was ready to grab her arms and take her down, but right as she was about to fall into his arms, she suddenly disappeared.

"WHAT?" Vegeta cried out in surprise. Just then he felt a hard blow on the side of his face. Pan had faked coming towards him, and instead used her speed to go past him, turn around, and slam her knee into his face.

The Saiyan Prince staggered in his step for a moment, and touched his cheek. Red liquid was oozing onto his hand, and Vegeta realized he was bleeding. The prince turned and thrusted his hands out to his sides, powering up his body until his hair was glowing gold and his eyes were a crystal green. "_HAAAAAAAAAH_!!!!" He roared as he turned Super Saiyan and opened his hands wide to reveal energy orbs levitating inside them.

"Oh n--" Was all Pan could say until Vegeta fired two energy blasts that hit her head on and slammed her back thirty feet and colliding into a tree.

**_SLAM!!!!_**

****Pan's body contacted with the tree and she slumped to the ground motionless, smoke rising from the fallen tree.

Vegeta allowed himself to return to normal. "Shit," He mumbled as he rushed towards her. _If I've hurt her..._he thought, thinking of the nagging Gohan, Videl, and Bulma would give him if she'd gotten knocked unconscious.

"Oooo...ow...," Pan said in a weakened voice, rising slowly from the ground, one hand holding her pounding head, the other steadying herself.

"Are you injured badly?" Vegeta said in firm voice, standing over her, surprised she was still conscious.

"N--no," Pan said slowly, rising to her feet, her one hand still against her forehead. "That actually hurt though..."

Vegeta's eyes widened, _What? _"You're alright, then?"

"Of course," Pan's face broke into a smile, despite the small trickle of blood coming from the gash on her forehead, "That was an awesome punch! Did you go Super Saiyan?"

Vegeta was amazed;her Ki was exactly as it was before he punched her. _How can this be? _He cleared his throat, "Of _course _I went Super Saiyan."

"Oh," Pan said, the smile still on her face, "Why?"

Vegeta growled, "_Why_? Because you caused _this_!" He pointed to his cheek, which was starting to swell and turn purple.

Pan stared at his face, and then to the prince's utmost surprise, actually started to laugh.

"Wha--you're laughing?" Vegeta stared at her with shock. _What kind of mockery is this?_

Pan smiled, still giggling, "Sorry, Vegeta...it's just that...I didn't expect to actually get a hit on you!"

The Saiyan Prince's eyes were huge, "YOU _WHAT_?!?"

"I didn't think I'd hit you," Pan repeated. "I thought for sure you'd catch me in midair again, even after I faked," She pushed a lock of hair behind her ear, "That's so funny.." She smiled, and rubbed her forehead, trying to wipe the blood away.

Vegeta stared at her, his eyes wide and a new look of confusion and shock on his features.

_She...she's so...so...calm! I knocked the hell out of her, and she's standing here laughing...as if it was nothing! _

"You don't even feel any pain?" He said in confused frown.

"Well, a little," Pan admitted, rubbing her forehead, "But it's starting to go away...it'll probably be worse later...but that's okay." She smiled a Goku-ish smile at Vegeta, who looked suddenly pensive.

_Amazing...she can resist pain...but how? _He watched as she spit on her hand and tried to wipe the blood off her forehead some more. _Hmmph...something Kakarot would do..._

Vegeta suddenly smirked, "Girl, you're tougher than I gave you credit for."

Pan looked up in surprise, "Really?"

"Are you good for more sparring?" He said with a tight smug look.

Pan's smile brightened tenfold, "YEAH! You want to spar some more?"

"Well, if you're in shape for it," He taunted.

Her smile bacame sly, "I think I can handle you," She grinned.

"Oh do you?" His smirk grew tight around his face, mildly impressed by her challenge.

"Yeah, even as a Super Saiyan!" She said with a darker smile.

"_Ha_!" Vegeta laughed harshly, "You wish, girl! I won't give you that honor..._yet_," He added with a narrowed eye.

"Well, then," Pan crouched down, "I guess I'll have to work to receive that honor then, huh?"

"You almost done?" Uub said with slight impatience.

"Why? What do you have to do?" Bra said with an eyebrow raised.

"Train, what else?" Uub said trying to rise to his feet, but Bra pushed him back down.

"You train all the time," She said with a twisted smile, "Can't you enjoy our reunion for more than a minute?"

Uub sighed, "It's not that I'm not happy to see you. I'm thrilled, I'm estatic--"

"Then surely you can go without training for one afternoon," She smiled and stopped the massage, now laying beside him. "What do you say?"

Uub looked at her and saw her smile; saw her dark blue eyes staring back at him with a pleading look that told him that she needed him beside her now, and no where else. He allowed a gentle smile to form on his face.

"As long as you promise not to tempt me to do something I don't need to," He smiled slyly.

"What do you mean?" But she knew what he was saying.

"I'm saying don't try and tempt me to do what I almost did at your house."

Bra tried to look niave, "I have no clue what you're talking about," She said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah, I bet you don't," Uub smiled and ran a hand through her hair.

"Don't worry," Bra said looking into his eyes, "I'll try not to tempt you...try to anyway," She said and brushed her lips past Uub's, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end.

"Now, see, there you go again," He smiled nervously, "You're tempting--"

"Then you'll just have to learn to control yourself," Bra said, as she pulled his lips against hers.

Goten grasped his hand in slight pain as he dropped the pen beside him. "Done," He said with a smile. "I think that's everyone."

Marron grasped the notepad from him and scanned it over, "Geez, Goten...this _IS _a hundred people on here!" She looked amazed.

"Of course it is," The Demi-Saiyan smiled, "Told you that we could manage a hundred people to invite!" He said, letting go of his tired hand and smiling. 18 reached over and snatched the paper from Marron's hands.

Marron smiled, as 18 scanned over the notepad. "So...we have food, flowers, almost all the bridesmaids and bridesgrooms, the invitations planned out...and the place of the wedding...what are we missing?" She looked around to everyone.

"Where's their honeymoon going to be?" Chi Chi smiled as she sipped her limade.

Marron and Goten's jaws dropped, "Uhhh..._what_?"

Krillin smiled slyly from the kitchen table, "Come on, you can't tell me you hadn't thought about it..."

"_No_," Goten stammered, his eyes wide. Trunks smiled at his innocent look,

"Why not just rent out Roshi's place again?" He laughed.

"How about _NO_!" Roshi glared at the Demi-Saiyan, "You already used my house for one week! And trashed it, by the way!"

"It was ALREADY trashed when we got there!" Marron retorted angrily.

"Yeah! Me and Marron had to clean it when we got there!" Goten chimed in.

"YOU CALLED THAT _CLEANING_?" Roshi roared, rising from his seat. "THAT'S THE MOST _PITIFUL _CLEANING JOB I'VE EVER _SEEN_!"

"Well, maybe if you had _CLEANED IT BEFORE YOU LEFT_," Marron stood up so fast, that Goten didn't know where she was for a second, "_IT WOULDN'T LOOK LIKE THAT!"_

"Marron," 18 said with a snap, and the blonde slowly sunk back to the floor, her face calming down. "There'll be no need to yell in here." The Android said with a narrowed eye.

"Roshi, surely a little while in your house after the wedding won't kill you," Bulma offered with a small hopeful smile.

The martial arts master threw back his head and laughed grimly.

"Oh yes, I could let them have my house for a little while," He said with a sly grin.

Everyone in the room sighed with relief, as Goten and Marron looked at each other happily.

"Of course," Roshi continued, and all eyes were back onto him, "I would need a place to stay while they were there...," He smiled triumphantly as everyone's eyes grew big. Bulma, Videl, Chi Chi, and 18's faces turned crimson. "Now, would any of you lovely ladies offer me a place to stay if they borrowed my house?" He grinned and winked at the ladies, who all looked mortified.

Videl grimaced, "Ugh--"

Bulma looked on the verge of vomitting, "You can't be serious--"

Chi Chi turned her head away, "I can't believe you would even suggest--"

18 didn't say a word, but merely cracked her knuckles in a threatening response.

"Ahem," Roshi interupted their squeamish talk with a nervous look after 18's display, "I need an answer."

"It's okay guys," Marron replied quickly, "Goten and I can find somewhere ELSE to go," She glared at Roshi, who looked extremely satisfied.

"Phew," All four of the woman said at once, each wiping their foreheads with their hands.

Krillin smiled and shook his head, "Eh, Goten you could always go out Master Gohan's old place."

"What?" Goten said in surprise. The others in the room looked towards Krillin.

"Yeah, Master Gohan, Goku's adoptive father has an old place past Roshi's in the mountain area. I think it's still deserted; Goku and I visited it once. It's a nice setup, in the quiet of the woods...very peaceful, anyway."

"I know where that is," Roshi said distantly.

"Really? And we could use it?" Goten said with eagerness.

"If no one else is, sure...I don't think it's being used." Krillin replied with a smile.

"Great!" Goten smiled and turned to Marron, "Sound good?"

"Sure, sounds fun to me," She smiled back to him.

"Mark it down then!" Goten told 18, who jotted the idea on the notepad as Videl watched her.

Pan wheezed and gasped for air as she leaned over and placed her hands on her knees. Her shirt was cut in several places, and the knee of her pants was ripped and exposing her cut leg. But despite her rough appearance and the fact that she was gasping for air, Pan was smiling. She'd never fought someone so fierce as Vegeta...not in a very long time, anyway, and she could tell she was more powerful than she was a year ago. The pain in her joints and body wasn't hitting her full force yet, but she knew in the morning, she'd feel the pain of her choice to spar with the Saiyan Prince.

Vegeta watched her with mild amusement and amazement as she dusted off her legs and straightened her back. He couldnt' believe she'd taken the pain he'd handed to her. He did not have to go Super Saiyan to beat her today, but it'd been close...very close.

"I think," The Saiyan smirked, "That's enough for today."

"No!" Pan said in defiance, "Come on, let's go one more time!"

Vegeta shook his head, frowning, "Not today; you're injured. You're going to be sore enough as it is in the morning."

"I'll heal," Pan sighed, trying to do something with her black hair, which was a mess at the moment. "By tommorrow, I'll be better." She walked towards Vegeta and smiled, "Was I stronger than the last time I fought you?"

The prince pondered this a moment. It'd been at least a year since they'd last fought. He scanned her over; her Ki had increased fourfold, but he didn't feel like telling her that much yet. "You're a little stronger," He conceded, "But you have a _long _way to go."

"Well, I've been training a lot--" Pan started,

"Train more," Vegeta finished her sentence. "You're not strong enough. Should we have to fight another villain again, I want you to be ready." He said with a serious tone to his voice.

Pan looked at him oddly, "Why are you telling me to get stronger?"

"Because," Vegeta paused. He didn't want to go into a lengthy story, but at the same time he didn't want to cut his motives short, "I may hate and loathe Kakarot for all the times he beat me as a Saiyan and warrior, but that doesn't change the fact that I respect him. You," He smirked down at her, "Have his spirit in you."

Pan stared with wide eyes as he continued.

"You have his spirit to never give up and push your limits," Vegeta noticed Gohan landing some forty yards away from them, "I only wish your father had been more like him." He saw Gohan getting closer, "Don't stop training, do you understand? Push your limits," He turned to see Gohan only a few yards off.

Pan smiled a Goku-like smile and bowed her head slightly, something that surprised Vegeta. "Don't worry I won't quit training."

"Good," He said, "And never forget that you are a Saiyan...or part of one anyway. Saiyans value their heritage and legacy. Don't forget it." Gohan was now standing next to them.

"What on earth are you two talking about?" Gohan seemed much more relaxed and calm than when he'd gone of to fly.

"Nothing," Pan said suddenly, giving Vegeta a _don't-worry-I-understand _look. "We just got done sparring." She smiled at her father. Vegeta suddenly felt some lingering respect for the child.

"I can see that, Pan, you look rough." He said examining the cuts on her body and her torn clothes.

"She's fine," Vegeta said firmly, "She's stronger than you know." And he turned from the two.

"Thanks for sparring with me, Vegeta!" Pan called out ot him as he walked towards the house. "Next time, I'll battle you when you're a Super Saiyan!" She shouted.

The Saiyan Prince paused at the door to the house. Vegeta could hear Gohan exclaim, "_WHAT_?!?" And smirked, _For Kakarot's brat's brat...she's not that bad..._

"Well, I guess that's that," Goten said standing up, "The wedding's starting to get in gear." He sounded eager with the prospects of today.

"Good...I can't wait!" Chi Chi jumped up and hugged her son and Marron, "I'm so excited for you two!" She squealed.

"Goten, we're fixing dinner here at Chi Chi's. You can stay if you want," Videl said calmly.

"Actually," Goten turned to Roshi, "I was planning on seeing if Roshi wouldn't mind me staying with him another night." The group looked stunned, "I left all my stuff back at his place, and I'd like to talk to him tonight..."

"Why on earth would you want to stay with him?" Chi Chi said with wide eyes.

"Just to catch up on things...he was dad's mentor...I just want to reminess about stuff with him tonight," Goten said bluntly.

Roshi nodded in appreciation, "I don't mind. Come on Goten, let's head home, I got some rice and saki saved up from vacation..." His voice trailed off as he left the house.

Goten gripped Marron's shoulders, "I'll talk to you tommorrow," He kissed her on the cheek gently. "Thanks for coming everyone! Trunks," He looked at his best friend, "I'll talk to you tommorrow too about tuxes, okay?" Trunks nodded, smiling at his friend. Goten smiled back, waved to everyone, and left the house with Roshi. The house was silent all of a sudden.

"Figures," Chi Chi sighed with slight frustration, "Just like his dad...doin' the most random stuff at the most unusual times...it's like Goku made over!"

"Heh, that's a good thing," Krillin smiled.

"Sure you want to marry him?" 18 said with a playful grin to her daughter, but Marron nodded.

"It's okay, I can eat with you two tonight, I guess," She smiled to her parents. For some reason, she understood Goten's actions.

"Seems like forever since you have," Krillin smiled sincerely, and 18 nodded her head in unison.

"I guess we could find that father or yours and head home," Bulma said with her hands on her hips, looking at her son, who smiled.

"Yeah, but where is he?" Trunks asked with curiousity.

"If you'd actually look around for once," A sharp voice shot out into the air. The group turned around and saw that Vegeta was staring at them, leaning against the doorframe to the kitchen, "You'd see I was right here."

"Vegeta," Bulma huffed, and turned to the door outside. "Where have you been?"

"Outside," He turned to Videl, "Your husband and child are out there by the way."

"Oh!" Videl said in a surprised voice. Vegeta usually didn't acknowledge her.

"And don't be too alarmed, but Pan might need a sensu been..she's pretty roughed up." He said walking out the door. Bulma and Trunks followed him in amazement out the door, as the rest of the group followed Videl to the back door.

As the door shut behind them, Bulma turned to stare at Vegeta with a shocked expression, "What's wrong with you?" She asked him in a concerned voice.

"What are you talking about woman?" Vegeta growled, but the difference in his voice had been unmistakable.

"You!" Bulma said astonished, "You called her Pan! Not--"

"Kakarot's brat's brat," Trunks cut in with an amazed voice that matched his mothers.

Vegeta looked at them both and sneered, "Since when was it a crime for the Saiyan Prince to call people by their birth names?" He trapsed past them and flew into the air angrily, leaving his wife and son behind with the capsule corp. flying copter.

Trunks and Bulma watched him disappear into the distance.

"I wonder what made him call Pan by her name?" Bulma wondered.

Trunks didn't reply but he could sense that his father had developed something for Pan that he hadn't developed for anyone in a long time:

_Respect_.

**_Ahhh, okay, I know, this chapter kind of became the Pan and Vegeta chapter..but I hadn't given them a moment yet so I knew I had to! Besides, that part of this chapter will be important for future chapters, just wait and see! LOL Much credit for the idea of that scene came from Nate Gray's story The Princess of the Saiyans...which I LOOOOOVE! I HIGHLY recommend it if you're a Vegeta or a Pan fan! _**

_**So, how was it? It was by far the LONGEST chapter I've wrote so far and my favorite too! I hope you liked it just as much as me! Because I had a BLAST writing it! I hope the comments or reviews that possibly come in on it are unanymous to that as well..but who knows! ha ha**_

_**Okay, next chapter, Marron goes shopping for the perfect wedding dress! but chi chi and 18 have different opinions on what makes the perfect dress, and Goten and Roshi reminess, plus what was that promise Bulma had to Vegeta? Ha ha ha, we find out next chapter!!!!**_

_**You guys rock and are so awesome...I don't know where I'd be without you guys, but it wouldn't be here! Thanks so much for all the support and keep on rockin' in the free world! Peace out and ROCK ROCK ON!**_

_**Romania Black**_


	30. Propositions and Bribes

The Taming of the Saiyan

By Romania Black

_**Well, Chapter Thirty is upon us! Wow, I had no idea it would turn out THIS WAY! LOL, I am thoroughly pleased with it, but to tell you the truth, I had a million other ways this could have gone, but I'm happy with all of this chapter other than the title..I couldn't think of any way else to describe it...there's SO much that happens in this chapter, that titling it is near to impossible! So I just picked one that I thought suited it well...hope you agree! **_

**_Note: Another LONG chapter! Do we like these? Please let me know! _**

**_As usual, rated T for TEEN, In this chapter Mostly for the SEXUAL THEMES...yes, smaller kids prolly need to skip over this chapter! -points finger- You know who you are! Also rated T for TEEN due to mild violence, brief language, and alcohol reference/consumption._**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own anything of Akira Toriyama! But if he wants to use any of my ideas...GO FOR IT! **_

_**Reviews:**_

**_Jax: WOW! THanks so much! A new reviewer! -jumps for joy- Welcome to the story! -blushes- I'm so flattered you thought it was good! I loved the whole Pan and Vegeta thing too! lol, I'll try and update as soon as I can, don't worry! I'm looking forward to the wedding too, it's going to be so much fun to write about! ha ha, thanks SO MUCH for this review and I hope to hear more from you! -wink wink back- Well, enjoy the next chapter and the rest of the story! I think you will! _**

**_Witch of Erie Knoll: YAY! Of course I'll bring my own rum! I always have room for a little Captain in me! And we can sing pirate songs all night! ha ha ha, and as long as Trunks is there, -winks at Trunks, who is freaked out- Then I'll be alright! lol, thanks so much for the review! Yes, I am hinting at that pairing, but who knows what the future will hold! At the moment, though, there is hints of it, but Pan's a WEEEE bit too young for him at this point...besides Trunks is ours to huggle right now! -freaked out Trunks runs away- No! Come back! Well, enjoy the chapter! -runs off to catch him-_**

**_Sinful Sakura: Wow, I'll HAVE to check that out! Is it for PS2? Cuz I only got that and Sega Genesis! Bwahahaha! Oh, and PC of course! DUH! LMAO! Ha ha ha, yes ONLY TRUE BESTEST OF BEST FRIENDS break into their pals' house to play video games! ha ha ha, -wipes tears from eyes- soooo funny...Well thanks for the compliment and the review! I'm definately looking forward to the wedding too! And I'm glad you liked the Vegeta/Pan fight! Want more? If you guys like it that much, I can have more sparring action with those two! lol, anyway, enjoy the story!_**

**_Kumori Ookami: Alright! I was so happy someone else noticed the weird vibes from Chi Chi and Vegeta! I thought it was humorous to have them pitted against each other in a single room, cuz you know that Vegeta's talked about how bad and pathetic Chi Chi is, but when face to face with her, he kind of wusses out...and I'm not sure if he even knows why! LOL...I smell a spinoff oneshot! Hmmm...-ponders, then gets back on track- anywhoo, thanks! I admire Pan's spirit too! And yes, Gohan's a good dad, but Vegeta just really doesn't like him, so he gives him a hard time! Poor Gohan! LOL, anywhoo, The wedding should be awkward! And trust me, after this chapter...it only gets more weird! Oops...said too much! Well, the only thing else I can say is: ENJOY THE CHAPTER! Thanks for the review!_**

**_Tony: Hey thanks for the review! Once again, you've inspired me, so as you read the chapter, you may see a part of your review worked into the chapter. I love the idea of Roshi training Goten, and wouldn't have thought of it if you hadn't told me! I'm glad you liked the Vegeta/Pan interaction too! Judging by people's reactions, I'm happy to say there will be more of that! Anywhoo, don't worry, I will update as often as I can! Please enjoy the story! I'm glad you're liking it!_**

_**Wow, the reviews for this chapter were soooo awesome! I loved hearing your responses to the last chapter, but then again, I love hearing your responses to ALL my chapters! You guys are what inspire me to write, and I'm so THANKFUL for each and every one of you! Without you, getting all the way to chapter thirty would have NOT been possible! And the ride isn't over yet! Thanks so much for the reviews, you guys, and of course:**_

_**Enjoy the Story!**_

_**Romania Black**_

Chapter Thirty: Propositions and Bribes

"Geez, look at you," Videl said with a saddened sigh as she dusted off Pan's shoulders, trying to straighten her up. Pan looked on the verge of collapsing, but she was smiling an energetic grin that thought otherwise.

"How bad is she hurt?" Chi Chi said with a worried voice, clutching her hands together against her chest and hovering over Videl.

"I'm fine," Pan said in a slightly annoyed tone, but the smile wouldn't fade from her face, "It doesn't hurt at all!" She tried to raise her arms up into the air to show them, but they sagged with exhaustion.

"Uh-huh," Videl said sternly, "_A sensu bean's what she needs_?" She said sarcastically, turning to Gohan, "More like a whole _bag _of them! Why'd you let her fight him?" Her voice was laced with aggravation. Chi Chi, 18, Marron, and Krillin's eyes all rose to Gohan's.

"What was I supposed to do?" Gohan said with a frown, looking at his wife, "_Stop _him? I don't think I could get in Vegeta's way to stop him from sparring--"

"Ha ha," Pan laughed, cutting him off, "That's what Vegeta said," She smirked.

Gohan's cheeks flushed and he looked away from the group. Chi Chi straightened Pan's shirt collar as Videl tried to apply a bandage to Pan's knee, "It's just as well," Chi Chi sighted, "Vegeta should know the difference between fighting an adult and a young ch--"

Pan broke away from them, "I am _NOT _a child!" She said with a stern face, "I'm fourteen! I'm not a baby!" Pan was old enough to be sick of being pampered. She was a young adult now, not some loathesome preteen.

The three looked at her with doubtful faces. "Pan," Videl said softly, "We're not saying you're a baby...it's just that--"

"Going up against Vegeta isn't something I would have recommended you doing," Gohan said with a serious face.

"I could take him, though!" Pan replied with a frown. _Why couldn't they understand? I'm stronger than they think..._

"Is that what you think?" Videl said with a tight grim face. She kept picturing Vegeta beating the tar out of her daugther, and each graphic image made her face tighter and tighter.

"Yeah!" Pan pointed at her dad, "_HE _fought Cell when he was _ELEVEN_! And _won_!"

Videl looked to Gohan who sighed and ran a hand to his face, "Pan...you don't understand...that was different..."

"No it's not!" She yelled, backing away from them, "It's no different! You...you...," She paused and her chest swelled, as if holding in a sob, "You're the ones that don't understand!" Pan whipped around and ran past 18, Krillin, and Marron and into the house, slamming the door behind her.

Gohan shook his head, "I knew it would lead to this."

Krillin smiled grimly and shrugged, "You know it can't be easy for her, man...she just wants to be a fighter like we were."

"You'd think at a time when we were at peace, fighting would be the last thing she'd want," Videl sighed.

"Heh heh," Krillin smiled darkly, "Are you kidding? She's got too much of her grandfather in her for that!" He looked nervously at Gohan, who frowned at this statement, "Uh, and a lot of you too, Gohan..." 18 gave him a look that clearly meant that he wasn't helping the situation.

"I'll go up and talk to her," Gohan said with a quiet, saddened face, entering the house.

Videl and Chi Chi looked at each other and then to the group in front of them, "You three can stay and eat with us," Chi Chi smiled weakly.

"I think it would be good for Marron to chat with us about the wedding more during supper too," Videl smiled, despite the conversation that had just ended.

18 and Marron nodded, "Sounds wonderful," Marron smiled, trying to help the situation.

Krillin groaned, "_More _talk about the wedding?" 

Uub rest his head against the cool metal of the training chamber, his eyes slowly resting on Bra's, that were staring at him as her tilted her head that was resting on his shoulder. "What time is it?" He asked her gently.

Bra checked her phone in her pocket and groaned, "It's already seven," She said with a frown. She didn't want to leave yet...but knew that the later she got home, the more questions she'd get handed to her.

"Too bad," Uub said, sitting up, Bra getting off of his shoulder. "I guess you should go, before your parents get mad at you."

"What'll they do?" She said with a cocky smile, "Ground me again?"

"That's what I'm afraid of," Uub said with a serious tone, "I don't want Vegeta mad at me..or you--"

"Oh, you could take him," Bra said, rising to her feet. "You don't give yourself enough credit."

"Is that so?" Uub said with a smirk, "I'll take that into account next time I see him."

Bra smiled and turned to leave, but not before giving him a quick kiss on the lips.

"It may be sooner than you think," She smiled, and grabbed her purse, leaving the gym.

Uub watched her go as he wondered the true meaning of her statement.

Meanwhile, at Roshi's, Goten was sitting on the couch with his feet propped up on the coffee table. The scenerio seemed so common now after a week, that it was hard to believe he was leaving this place and going home tommorrow. He smiled calmly as he turned back to the cup of saki that Roshi had gave him. The hermit had disappeared into his room for several minutes, and Goten was about to check up on him when he returned with a faded red book in his hands.

"What were you doing in there?" Goten said mildly, sipping his saki.

"Found this," Roshi said nonchalantly, laying the faded red album in Goten's lap. "It's when my students were going to the World Martial Arts Tournaments."

Goten opened the album up to see photos of young warriors in their prime as they competed in the tournament, "Wow," he said softly, as he stared at the competitors, "These are _your _students?"

"You bet your goose they are," Roshi chuckled, "Every last one, err," He paused, "Well, Tien's in there...he wasn't my student, but you know..." His voice trailed off, and he wondered if the boy truly knew what he meant.

"This is incredible," Goten said in an awed whisper.

"Maybe you could train with me for a while...after you're married," Roshi smiled weakly.

Goten's head lifted up suddenly, "Really? I haven't trained in..." He didn't finish the sentence, but Roshi understood.

"It never hurts to start again," He smiled. "Maybe you could be a world champion, like your father...he's in there quite a bit." He said with a deep smile.

Goten looked at the old man and suddenly realized how much Roshi missed Goku. "Did---did you talk to dad a lot while you were...on vacation?" He asked quietly.

The hermit stared at him for a moment, then a broad smile broke on to his face, "I figured sooner or later you'd ask me that," He chuckled lightly.

"What?"

"Yes, I saw him for a bit. He's quite content up there," Roshi said giving the boy an approving smile. Goten sat back on the couch, "He's up there fighting anyone who'll spar with him left and right...never quits training, you know." He said, and saw the Demi-Saiyan forming a smile on his face, Goten picturing his father in the Heavens, laughing and duking it out with one of the warriors there.

"Not surprising," He said, "When Uub first came to the World's Martial Arts Tournament, he left with him to train immediately after fighting him," He chuckled, "Mom thought he was off his rocker..."

"Goku just loves to improve himself," Roshi shrugged, "He's not one to sit still for too long." He glanced down at the photo album, "See, there he is," He pointed to the picture in the album and Goten saw a small boy of no older than eight or nine staring back at him. The boy looked remarkably like Goten had at that same age. But his gestures were also mimicked by Goten at that age.

Roshi saw Goten's surprised face and smiled, "You're just like him in more ways than you know," He said with a grin.

Goten nodded slowly, sipped some more saki, and for the first time saw his father in himself, and in more ways than just looks. Perhaps he would train after he married Marron and had settled down for a little while. The prospect of becoming like his father was sounding better and better to Goten...

Gohan reached the door to Pan's room, which was shut, and sighed. He knew she didn't want anyone in her room when the door was shut. He slowly leaned against the door frame.

"Pan?" He asked slowly, and waited for her reply.

"Go away," The voice said in a stern voice. Gohan smiled,

"Pan can I come in?"

"I think I already answered that question," The voice said in smart snap.

Gohan's eyes narrowned, but he was still smiling, "Pan, dear, don't get smart with me." He said in a slightly threatening tone. "I just want to talk with you."

There was a moment's silence, then the door crept open slowly. Pan's head appeared through the crack in the doorway, her face sad, "I couldn't keep you out," She smiled faintly, looking up at her father and letting him in.

He walked past her and sat on her bed, patting the comforter to signal her to come and sit beside him. Pan hesitated but finally sat on the bed next to him, her head hung low.

"Why so glum?" He said, trying to cheer her up.

"Don't play dumb," She whispered angrily, "You know why I'm upset."

"Pan," Gohan looked at her, "I just want you to be a normal girl."

"But I can't be normal! I've seen...too much to be normal!" Her mind raced with images of the Black Dragonballs, her grandfather, Bebi, and Evil 17. She shook her head, "I don't want to be normal anyway." She whispered.

Gohan realized how much she had truly been through, "Listen, you think I don't understand what you're going through--"

"And you don't!" Pan broke from the bed and stood up, glaring at him, "You have no idea what it's like!"

"What's it like, then?" He said, and for the first time, Pan saw the fury in his voice and face welling up, "What's it like to be fourteen at your age?"

Pan didn't say anything.

"Is it anything like when I was eleven and lost my father and had everything I held dear almost taken from me, at the cost of it being my own fault?" Gohan was shaking in his seat, "I had to watch my father sacrifice himself for everyone, and then it all be for nothing, and watch my friends try and help me defeat Cell while he was slowly killing them...," His knuckles were white, "IS THAT WHAT _YOUR _LIFE IS LIKE?"

Gohan was gasping slowly for air, as he watched his daughter's face pale even whiter than the ivory it was anyway. She slowly walked towards her father, and the next thing he knew, she was wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Dad," She whispered in a sob, and he saw she was crying into his chest, "I didn't--I just---I had no idea--"

"It's okay," Gohan patted her back. It somehow felt good to get all of that off his chest; as if it had been building up there forever, "I shouldn't have yelled--"

"I've never seen you so angry," Pan admitted, giving him a fearful look.

Gohan smiled, his face and hands returning to their normal tone, "That's alright...I try not to a lot anymore."

"I just," Pan paused, looking downward, "I want to be strong enough to save the world like you did then..." Her voice broke.

Gohan gave her a sympathetic look, and realized that she truly was his father's granddaughter, "Pan, don't worry...you'll be strong enough when the time comes...but you have...to keep training." He knew he was going to regret saying this.

"What?" Her eyes widened suddenly.

"I want you to ask Vegeta to train you," Gohan knew for _SURE _he was going to regret saying this.

"Wh--tha--Why?" Pan stammered, leaning away from him, as if he wasn't Gohan anymore.

"I can't train you like he can," Gohan admitted, sighing as he pointed to his glasses, "I'm a nerd now, remember?"

Pan giggled, "Dad, you're not a nerd!" She smiled as she thought, _Not a big one anyway..._

"Tell that to the dozen other people who think it though," Gohan replied and stood up, "Just train with Vegeta for a while, and you'll get stronger, don't worry. Can you do that for me?" He figured Vegeta would refuse to train her anyway, but something in his gut told him that maybe things would turn out different.

"YES, DAD!" Pan hugged Gohan and he wrapped an arm around her shoulder, never being happier to have her as a child.

"Okay, then," He winked, "Think you're up for some of grandma's cooking?"

Pan made a face that was a mixture between a giggle and a grimace, "Ewww...as long as it's not that tomatoe stew she made the other day!"

Gohan laughed; it had been a nasty recipe, "Hopefully it'll be her rice cakes. Those are good, aren't they?" He said as he led her out her room.

"They're edible anyway," Pan smiled up at her dad, who could do nothing else but laugh at her comment.

Goten slowly turned the page in the photo album, to which he was starting to near the back of, and placed his empty glass on the table beside his rice dish, which was also barren. The Demi-Saiyan noticed a photo, chuckled, and turned to Roshi,

"Geez, you actually had hair back then?" He said with a sly grin, his face coming up from top of the album and staring at Roshi, who looked unamused.

"Is that from my fight with Goku?" He asked in an aggravated voice.

"I think so," Goten's eyes looked down at the photo temporarily.

"Then, yes," Roshi muttered, finishing his saki.

"Heh," Goten smiled, "Can I asked what happened to it?"

"No," The hermit smiled with a narrowed glance, "You can't."

"Ah," Goten returned to looking at the book, "You look better without it anyway," He said after a short pause.

Roshi sighed, "It seems like so long ago," He stared out the window into the growing darkness outside, "Yet, in truth it's not been that long compared to my lifetime."

"How old are you?" Goten looked up from the album with a curious face.

"Oh, well..." Roshi blushed slightly, "I've had my good years...and then some. I'm at least four hundred years old."

Goten jumped up in surprise, "FOUR _HUNDRED_?" He couldn't believe it.

"Oh yes," Roshi said with an evil grin, "Four long hundred years...it's been a trip, let me tell you."

Goten slowly sat back down, an astonished look on his face, "I don't believe it..._wow_...you're..."

"_Old_?" The hermit finished his sentence for him with a raised eyebrow.

"Well..yeah!" The Demi-Saiyan smiled, "That's a long time! I hadn't realized..."

"Don't feel bad..most don't either," Roshi set the saki glass on the coffee table.

"So you've known _all _these people..." Goten stared back at the photo album as if seeing it for the first time.

"Known them, taught them, watched them grow stronger, then seen many of them die," Roshi said, a sadder voice playing on the last of the sentence. He looked down at the saki glass in silence.

Goten suddenly sat the book down and looked at the aged martial arts master. He'd never thought of the fact that Roshi had lived long enough to see others around him die of old age. The Demi-saiyan felt a new level of pity and sympathy for the old man.

"I'm...I'm sorry," Was all he could think to say.

"Why be sorry?" The hermit smiled weakly, "I've had hardly any regrets in my life that I still think about...most of its under the bridge."

"_Hardly_?" Goten repeated his words skeptically.

"Well, of course, I regret some of my past actions, because of the effects they had," Roshi smiled grimly, and rubbed his cheek as if an artificial hand had whipped out and smacked him in the face, "But there's one thing I regret the most."

"Which is?"

Roshi smiled at him, "I regret being cross with one of my students and never speaking to them after that. I was so mad at them, I thought the hatred would never cease, but in the end, when I realized I wanted to make amends with them," His features grew sorrowed, "They'd already passed on."

Goten stared at him, his brow furrowed.

"I don't know about your relationships with anyone, Goten," Roshi said in an earnest voice, "But if you have anyone that you're currently at odds with, try to understand things from their point of view," He smiled, "You may see that you're not the one that's right about things." He stood up and walked towards the kitchen with his saki glass.

"So you're saying that I should forgive my enemies?" Goten said staring at him.

"All I'm saying is that if you're fighting with someone and you know that the fight isn't worth being fought...end it," He frowned and turned from Goten to the sink, "End it before you come to regret it."

Goten watched him as he started doing the dishes and thought about his enemies...not the ones he'd fought physically, but the ones that had hurt him on the inside. He realized he's slowly started to make amends with Gohan now that he and Marron were getting married..._but who else did he hate at that moment? _He thought for a long while, and slowly it dawned on him what he had to do.

"This is pretty good, Chi Chi." Krillin stated as he shoved another forkful of the rice into his mouth.

Fortunately for Gohan and Pan, Chi Chi had indeed decided to make her famous rice cakes, along with some broccoli casserole, and something that was orange and resembled sweet potatoes, but Pan was not about to touch it.

"Don't you want some of this?" Her grandmother tried to put a spoonful of the orange mush on her plate.

"Not really," Pan said nervously, giving the dish a disgusted look, "It's like orange fuzzy meatloaf," She grimaced.

"Well, it's not supposed to be meatloaf," Chi Chi huffed, taking the dish back towards her and examining it herself, "I think it looks more of an avacado color than orange also--"

"She doesn't want any," Gohan broke in, and the group laughed.

"So," Videl said taking a drink of water, "Tommorrow we're going wedding dress shopping, right?"

Marron's eyes lit up, "That sounds awesome!" She'd dreamed of trying on wedding dresses for a long time, but now that it was finally happening, she couldn't wait. It was like a dream to her.

"Wait," Chi Chi gave Videl a sharp glance, "Why do we have to shop for a wedding dress?"

"Here we go," Gohan said quickly and started to eat his food feverishly.

"Well, because she needs it to get married," Videl said in a slightly hateful tone.

"But we don't have to shop for a dress," Chi Chi snapped, "Not when we already have one available for her!"

"No offense, Marron," Videl said eyeing the blonde, "But you wouldn't want to wear my dress, it's much too poofy for your figur--"

"I didn't mean that dress!" Chi Chi sneered, "Good lord, that thing was so gawdy! I meant--"

"It was not gawdy!" Videl said in a shocked voice.

"Krillin," Gohan said suddenly, "How about we go look at that training catalog from Capsule Corp that I haven't shown you yet!"

"What?" The earthling looked confused, "Capsule Corp doesn't make a training cata--"

"It was too gawdy!" Chi Chi said with a flustered face, "It was frilly, overdone, and that veil!"

"What about that veil?" Videl's eyes flashed fire.

"Now or never, Krillin," Gohan said eyeing the two women with a scared expression.

"Well," Chi Chi huffed, "If you could call it a 'veil'. It resembed a bird's nest more than an actual--"

"GO!" Gohan jumped out of his seat and grabbed Krillin by the collar of his shirt and drug him out of the kitchen, "_WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT A CATALOG!" _His voice echoed, growing distant and distant.

"Morons," 18 said with a sigh, as Pan giggled.

"_A BIRD'S NEST_?" Videl and Chi Chi were face to face. "And I suppose that your wedding dress--"

"Ladies," The android's voice broke the two into silence. She frowned, "How about we shop for dresses, and Chi Chi can bring her wedding dress along for Marron to try on, since I'm assuming that's what you meant. Am I right?"

Videl and Chi Chi glanced at each other then sighed simultaneously, "I guess that would work."

"Good," 18 winked at Pan and Marron, "Glad that's settled then."

"Pan, you can go with us tommorrow too," Marron said taking a bite of broccoli casserole.

"Yes, Pan," Videl added, seeing Pan's defiant face, "You need to find a bridesmaid's dress while we're shopping."

"Are you serious?" Pan said, looking none too thrilled about this arrangement. Her mother nodded her head with seriousness, and Pan pouted. _I should have just went and looked at that catalog with dad..._

Trunks and Bulma landed outside their home right as the darkness was settling around them, the dew slowly starting to gather on the grass outside. The stars winked at them overhead, as Trunks helped his mother out of the Capsule Corp Copter.

"Oh," Bulma jumped onto the grass, "Thanks, Trunks," She smiled.

"Welcome," Her son said as he followed her into the house, tapping a button on his wristwatch that made the copter convert back into its capsule form. He shoved the capsule into his pocket as he walked inside the house.

Bulma placed her purse on the tabletop and looked around, her face frowning, "I wonder if your father's home yet," She sighed.

"Probably in the training chamber," Trunks replied, reaching into the fridge for something to drink.

"That's true," Bulma said with a small smile, "I'd better go find him and tell him we're home." She disappeared into the living room, as Trunks poured himself a glass of soda.

Bulma made her way to the gravity chamber, but to her surprise he wasn't there. The metal room was as empty as it had ever been. She placed her hands on her hips with a frustrated look. _Just where is he if he's not here? _She wondered.

As she made her way back into the house, she told herself that he was probably still flying around avoiding her and Trunks like he usually did, and that he'd come back in the middle of the night and hop into bed with her like he normally did anyway when he went flying. She sighed and walked into her bedroom. _Just once I wish he'd act more like a husband than a fighter...seriously, he's so stubborn and arrogant sometimes..._

She slipped out of her dress and into her usual periwinkle nightgown and took her hair out of the bun it was in. Her hair fell down past her shoulders as she walked towards the bathroom door, readying herself to wash off her makeup and prepare for bed early. She wasn't in any mood to wait up for him to come home tonight.

Just as she walked into the bathroom, the sight in front of her made her stop in her tracks cold.

There standing in front of her was Vegeta, leaning up against the shower, but that wasn't what surprised her.

He was standing there with nothing but a towl tied across his waist, his large sculpted muscles shining in the light, and bearing a smirk that was fit for the Saiyan Prince. Bulma gaped at him as he gave her a smug look.

"So, woman," He said with a smirk, "I was wondering when you'd make it here."

"Ve--Vegeta," Bulma stammered. She hadn't seen him like that in a long time, "What are you--"

"I seem to remember," He placed a hand to his chin, as if trying to remember something, "You saying something about bribing me to go to Kakarot's wife's house," He gave her a sharp cunning look.

Bulma gaped at him.

"Now, as a first class warrior, I'm true to my word, so," He slowly turned the shower on behind him. Water started to spray out in a continuous rattling like needles hitting glass. "What about your word?"

"Vegeta you--you're serious, aren't you?" Bulma slowly started to smile nervously.

"I wouldn't be standing here if I wasn't," He said with a frown.

Bulma was beyond words, "I--I didn't think you'd remember--"

"You should know me better than that," He smirked.

"It's just that...It's been so long," Bulma found herself staring into the mirror, the wrinkles on her face slowly becoming more noticable. She blushed as she turned away from the vision the mirror offered her.

Vegeta smirked and walked towards her and placed a hand on her hip, "Then why are you complaining?" He said slowly into her ear.

Bulma felt her face turn crimson, as Vegeta backed away from her, his hand slowly leaving her hip. "Vegeta--"

"You're the one that bribed me, woman," The Saiyan said with a sharp look getting closer to the shower, "It's not my fault you can't hold up to your word--"

"But Vegeta, look at me!" Bulma realized truly _how long _it had been since they'd shared moments like this.

"I am looking at you," He scanned his eyes up and down her, his face unreadable.

"Then surely you can see that I'm a middle aged sack of wrinkles and that there's no way--"

Vegeta laid a hand on her mouth to shut her up. When she had quit trying to talk, he slowly said to her,

"You are not a sack of wrinkles," His eyes scanned her face, "All I see is the same woman I married those years ago."

It was the nicest thing Bulma had ever heard him say to her in the longest time, but she knew it was mainly so she'd oblige to her word. She smiled and realized how silly she'd been acting. She looked at her husband and smirked,

"You're right," She allowed a youthful laugh to escape her lips, "Hold on, I'll be right back." She ran back to the bedroom, as Vegeta waited on her.

Vegeta figured she was preparing herself for whatever was to come. He hoped she was anyway; he did _NOT _want another brat to come along nine months from now, which was what he dreaded most nowadays. Of course, if she didn't, he'd make sure he did himself. He was not ready for that sort of news anytime soon.

Bulma reappeared at the doorway, her hands on her hips, except this time draped in a towel that he'd remembered was lying on the bed when he'd came in.

"Well," He smirked, "That took you long enough."

"Quit griping," Bulma slid her hands behind his neck and brought his face towards hers, slowly backing with him into the shower.

There was an audible _plop _as their towels fell to the floor and Vegeta shut the shower door firmly.

Trunks, who was downstairs, sat at the table wondering why the place was so quiet. He had decided that Bulma had gone to bed and that Vegeta wasn't home yet. As for Bra, he had no clue where she was at.

No sooner than he'd thought this, the door from the outside to the kitchen opened, and Bra marched in, her hair slightly messy and her clothes a little more than disheveled. Trunks stared at her and his brow furrowed imensely.

"If you and Uub--" He started.

"No we did not have sex," Bra informed him bluntly as she headed towards the refridgerator, her purse now lying beside Bulma's.

Trunks' eyes widened, "That's not what I was--"

"Yes you were," Bra snapped back to him, "Don't lie."

"Well, it looks like--"

"Well everything's not always what it seems, is it?" She said with wide angry eyes as she sat down across from him at the table.

Trunks frowned, "I'd suggest you straighten yourself up before dad gets home, if you don't want him to suspect anything."

"What do you mean?" Bra eyed her brother curiously, "He's not here?"

"No, he hasn't come in since me and mom have been home."

"Oh," Bra smiled, "Geez, I could have brought Uub over--"

"I wouldn't have suggested it," Trunks said quickly, "He was in a bad mood as it is."

"What'd you and mom do?" Bra said with a cold smirk.

"We--What?" Trunks looked up at her with mild aggravation, "We did _nothing_!"

"_Uh_-_huh_," Bra said in a teasing voice, "I'm sure."

Trunks frowned and crossed his arms, but couldn't think of anything to reply with. Bra smiled and took a sip of a glass of milk she'd pulled from the refridgerator. "So...where is mom?" Bra looked around the kitchen.

"She's upstairs I think," Trunks said with an unamused glance towards her.

"Hmm," Bra stood up and dumped the rest of the glass of milk into the sink, "I think I'll go talk to her."

"She's probably asleep," Trunks said with a raised eyebrow. "What'd you want to talk to her about anyway?"

"Well, it's none of _your _business," She paused and glared at his curious face, "But if you must know, it's about me and Uub--"

"Gosh, _that _again?" Trunks rolled his eyes.

"Shut up! You wouldn't know how Uub and I feel because you've _never _been in love with _anyone_!" She snapped.

Trunks looked like he'd been slapped across the face. "_What_? That's not true!"

"Oh is it? Then who have you loved lately, or been in love with?" She asked with a taunting face.

The Demi-Saiyan opened his mouth to say something, but his mind went blank. _Now that I think about it...when's the last time I HAVE dated?_

Bra smiled and gave her brother a triumphant look, "That's what I thought." She said with a smug glance as she left the room, leaving her brother to sit at the table and ponder the question in his mind.

Uub normally would not have answered the door after Bra had left, because he usually didn't get any visitors other than her, but the knocking had been persistant, and something in his gut simply told him to answer the door. He got up and walked towards the doorway, stretching his back as he walked, the tight gray shirt around him stretching to fit his lean muscles. He adjusted his blue sleeping pants as he answered the door. To his surprise, it was someone he hadn't expected at all.

The figure at the door smiled, "Hey, uh...can I come in?" It was Goten.

Uub looked surprised, and realized he needed to answer him, "Oh! Errr, yeah, come on in," He motioned Goten into his gym-house.

Goten looked around in amazment at all the equipment, "Wow, man, this is nice!"

"Uhm, thanks," Uub was sure his face was red. _What's he doing here?_

"I hadn't been to your new place yet," Goten smiled, "This is amazing."

_He came here to see my house? In the middle of the night? _"Goten, can I ask what you're doing here?"

"Oh! Yeah," Goten suddenly remembered his purpose for coming. "I need to talk with you."

_You've got to be kidding me... _"About?"

"Well," Goten motioned for Uub to sit down, "Here. This may take a little bit."

"Okaaay," Uub said in a very weirded-out voice as he took a seat beside Goten.

The Demi-Saiyan waited for him to get situated, then cleared his throat,

"Uub...I came by here to apologize."

"_What_?" Uub was shocked. It made no sense to him, "I don't understand."

Goten smiled in an understanding way, "You see, when you first started dating Bra, I was jealous of you. I had dated Bra for so long...when you were with her, I thought at first she was just using you as a rebound, so it didn't bother me...then I realized...that she actually liked you," He smiled at Uub, "More than she ever liked me."

Uub stared at him as he continued,

"She loves you, man, and that's not your fault. I'm just happy that she found someone, and that that someone is you," Goten gave Uub a serious look, "I just don't want to spend the rest of my life living in regret that I never apologized to you and we carried some sort of hate between us."

Uub stared at him for a long moment, and then a broad grin broke onto his face and he laughed.

"What is it?" Goten was confused.

"HA HA HA," Uub cackled and then wiped a tear from his eye, "Goten, that was the most intelligent thing I've ever heard you say!"

"Wha--really?" Goten didn't know whether to be insulted or complimented.

"That Marron has really cleaned you up, man," Uub smiled. Goten beamed, realizing it was a compliment.

"Well...she is bringing that out in me..." He boasted.

"I'm glad you came by and told me that," Uub said with a hint of sincerity. "It means a lot."

The two were silent for a moment, and then Goten smiled, "You should ask her to marry you."

"**_WHAT?_**" Uub jumped up, nearly out of his skin.

"I'm serious," Goten said with a subtle look, "You and her are meant to be, I know it."

"It's a little early to ask her _THAT_," Uub said, grasping his chest.

"Ahhh, no it's not," Goten smiled, "Me and Marron are getting married now."

"YOU ARE?" Uub was amazed.

"Yeah, in a month," Goten saw the surprised look on Uub's face and smiled, "You could ask her to marry you and we'd do a back to back wedding!" He elbowed Uub in the ribs.

Uub wiped the sweat from his forehead, "Uh, let's hold off on that for now, Goten." He suddenly felt dizzy.

"Whatever you think," Goten shrugged, "But if you two already know you love each other and want to spend forever with one another...why hold off the enevitable?" He stood up and walked towards the door. "I'm glad I got to apologize to you, Uub."

"I'm glad you did," Uub said with a nervous glance, as he waved to Goten and said goodbye. The Demi-Saiyan was soon out of sight.

In the emptiness of the gym, Uub pondered Goten's words.

_Ask her to marry me...now? We've not even been dating that long! _Uub thought with a finality in his mind's voice.

But Goten's words echoed in his mind, _Why hold off the enevitable?_

Uub sat in the silence of the gym.

_Crud...He's right..._

"Mooom," Bra wondered the hallway, calling to her mother in a slightly annoyed voice. "Where are you?" She reached her mother's bedroom, and slowly opened the door. She didn't want to wake her mother, lest she nag her about the importance of beauty sleep.

"Hey, mom," Bra whispered, but there was no answer. The bed looked as if someone had just been in it, but there was no Bulma in sight.

Bra stepped into the room. She stepped over a nightgown that was on the floor and wondered if she was in the bathroom.

_I wonder if mom's taking a shower... _She didn't hear the shower running, but the bathroom door was shut. _Maybe she's washing her makeup off..._

Gripping the doorknob, Bra thrust the door open. Steam flooded the bedroom, escaping endlessly from the bathroom. Bra stepped into the bathroom,

"Mom I was just wondering if I could talk to you about--"

She stopped mid-sentence as she saw what was in front of her.

Standing directly in front of her was both of her parents. Her mothers arms were draped over Vegeta's neck and they were in the midst of kissing each other passionately. Involuntarily, her eyes suddenly fell downward and she saw they were naked and realized that wasn't the only thing they were doing.

Her face turned the starkest, ghastly white it had ever been, as her mother realized Bra was standing at the doorway watching them. Bulma's eyes went wide and Vegeta stopped kissing Bulma long enough to realize who was at the doorway. Bra slowly walked backwards out of the bathroom.

"OH MY GOD! _OH MY GOD! **OHMYGOD! OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD!**_

Bra stampeded out of the bathroom with her hands over her eyes and ran smack dab into the doorway to the hall. She fumbled around the doorway and ran down the stairs straight into Trunks, who was making his way up to see what the screaming was about.

"What on earth--" Trunks started, but Bra ran past him into the kitchen and started running cold water on her face. Trunks watched her from the kitchen, "What are you doing?"

**_"EYAAAH!" _**Bra screamed, "Must--get--image---out---of----mind!" She smacked her hands to her face as if trying to expel something from the inside of her.

"What are you talking about?" Trunks raised an eyebrow.

"Bathroom---mom---naked---" Bra sputtered, the water running over her face.

"She was probably taking a shower," Trunks smiled at her skeptically, "Most people don't wear clothes when they bathe."

Bra turned around so fast that Trunks nearly jumped out of his skin. Her face and the front of her shirt were soaked,

"You _moron_!" She snapped, "She wasn't taking a shower! Her and dad were---were---were--" She paused and her face turned a sour nauscious green, "_EEEEYYYYUUUCCCKKK_!" Bra thrusted her head back under the faucet and continued to spray water in her face.

Trunks suddenly realized what she was saying.

"Oooooh," He said slowly, as he turned to the top of the stairs.

Vegeta was standing at the top of the stairs, clad in what appeared to be hastily put on sleeping pants. Bulma had a bathrobe wrapped around her figure and both were breathing with slight heaviness.

"What is she doing?" Bulma cried out with narrowed eyes and a beat red face.

"Running her head under the faucet," Trunks said with a sigh, but he found the whole incident humorous nonetheless.

"Why on earth--?" Bulma muttered under her breath.

"How pathetic," Vegeta said with a smug frown, "As if it's a crime...We're married...we can do this sort of thing whenever we please."

Bulma smiled at her husband and for the first time in a while, truly appreciated and loved him for being himself.

"I didn't say it was a crime," Trunks scratched the back of his head and smiled.

Bra was still running her head under the sink, not hearing their conversation.

"Hmph," Vegeta snorted, "Pathetic," He looked down at his son, "Do _YOU _have a problem with us doing anything?"

Trunks smiled nervously at his father's evil stare, "Of course not," He said with a shrug.

"Good," The Saiyan turned to his wife, "Woman--"

"Way ahead of you," Bulma winked and made off towards the bathroom.

Vegeta gave his son a threatening look, "Tell anyone this--"

"I hear you," The boy smiled.

"Fine. And another thing," His eyes flashed towards the kitchen for a moment, "No one is to come _NEAR _our room, got that?"

Trunks smiled, _what else could I say?_ "You got it."

The Saiyan Prince smirked with satisfaction and left his two offspring to return to his room, where his wife awaited him to catch up on some long awaited romantic activity. The Prince usually hated romance and all that it entailed, but for once, and perhaps this would be the only time, he actually was happy that someone had struck up the nerve to bribe him.

_**Bwahahahahahaha! I loved writing this chapter! And I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did! I know in the previews from last chapter, I said we'd see Marron shop for wedding dresses, but as I was writing this, I realized that there was no way to fit it in and end it the way I wanted to. So...**_

_**Next Chapter, Marron DOES go wedding dress shopping, the mother-in-law fun ensues, Pan, Trunks, and Goten get fitted up for their parts in the wedding, plus Vegeta and Bra both are in for a shock! (No, Bulma's not Pregnant! 00 ) **_

_**Well, you guys are so awesome, and I'm so fortunate to have readers like all of you! I LUV YOU ALL! Please don't hesitate to send me a comment, review, or suggesting on how the story's doing! I LOVE hearing from you guys! Til the next chapter (it won't be long, don't worry!) Peace out, and ROCK ROCK ON!**_

_**Romania Black**_


	31. It Takes Two

The Taming of the Saiyan

By Romania Black

_**Well, finally Chapter 31 is here! I can't thank you all enough for the fabulous reviews so far! The response has been amazing and I'm soooo glad you're all liking the story so far! **_

_**I am so PSYCHED about getting to the wedding, you can't imagine...but it's still a few chapters off...in my head anyway...I have some stuff to cover before we get to the wedding, but once we do...OH I'M SO EXCITED! You guys have me revved up for this! It's going to be a FUN RIDE once we get there...I can't even begin to tell you how much I'm looking forward to writing it!**_

_**  
School is kicking into MEGA high gear, so I may be slower to churn out chapters, but please bear with me! I'm writing as fast as I can without getting sloppy and careless...I'll try to give you the best that I can...hopefully, since this chapter is UBER LONG, it'll hold you for a while! **_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own anything of Akira Toriyama! But if he wants to use any of my ideas...GO FOR IT!!! **_

_**Rated T for TEEN due to brief language, mild sexual themes, alcohol reference/consumption, and mild violence...**_

_**Reviews:**_

**_Kumori Ookami: I feel for Bra in that last chapter too! lol I know I'm evil, what can I say? But not TOO evil mind you! lol, that last chapter could have been A LOT worse! lol, I agree with you about Gohan! The show is SOOO against him! I had to put that in...just had to, but I'll try to make Gohan better in the rest of the story, cuz I love him to death! seriously, I do! And ya, Trunks needs a lady..he ain't dated in a LOOOONG time! LOL thanks for the review! Hope you like the story!_**

**_Witch of Erie Knoll: Bra didn't drown herself, but I'm sure she wanted to at the time! LOL, yeah, last chapter was a BLAST for me to write...you have myspace?!?! -laughs hysterically- Don't we all? that's awesome, me too! lol, oh and I hope your toe gets better! -sees Vegeta near her and starts to run away- Save Trunks for me Tooooooo... -voice fades- Ahem, thanks for the review! Enjoy the chapter! I think you will anyway... -_**

**_Sinful Sakura: I may have to look into that game..sounds like fun! Oh, and you shouldn't call your computer a whore..it doesn't like that! LOL LOL LOL, thanks! I think we all felt Bra's pain in some way...heh, and yeah, Marron's going to be part of one messed up family, that's for sure! LOL, Wow, an ex-hippie?!? I feel for you...I feel for you! -- And don't worry, with all the support for it, there will DEFINATELY be more Vegeta/Pan fights! Hope you like the chapter! THanks a mil for the review!_**

**_Tony: What an outstanding review! I loved all your suggestions! Veeery helpful! You'll find some answers in this chapter for Marron and training..as for Goten, wait til next chapter to find out more...I think in my mind, Gohan is afraid to teach Pan..you'll find out about that in future chapters...mainly the next one! LOL but I hope this chapter entertains you as well! For more answers, I guess the next chapter will help! Thanks so much for the review! Enjoy the chapter and the story, man! Peace!_**

_**The reviews and suggestions from all you guys are amazing and I can't stress enough how happy I am to have fans like you all! (Thanks SSJKidGoku for the PM's too!) You all are AWESOME and I LOVE YOU ALL!!!! Please don't hesitate to drop me a line or comment about how the story's going, and a suggestion or two if you have any! I appreciate all the support I get from you guys! I hope you enjoy this chapter and the rest of the story! None of this would be possible without you guys!**_

_**Enjoy the Story!**_

_**Romania Black**_

Chapter Thirty-One: It Takes Two

"When are you coming back?" Roshi said over his eggs as Goten finished pulling his shoes over his feet.

"Not sure," Goten replied. "I have to go get tuxes today with Trunks, so I don't know." He finished putting his shoes on and smiled, "Why?"

"Oh nothing," Roshi said, but his smile faltered, "It was nice thinking back on the good old days last night, that's all." He suddenly appeared much older than Goten remembered.

The Demi-Saiyan frowned, "After Marron and I are married, I'm coming back here to train," He said with a certain finality that surprised the martial arts master. Roshi tilted his head to the side,

"Seriously?"

"Yes, I promise," Goten smiled and waved as he left Roshi's house and flew into the air.

The hermit watched the boy leave out the window and smiled. _Something Goku would have said..._

Trunks walked into the kitchen to find a battered and distressed looking Bra sitting at the table, her hand clutching a coffee cup as if for dear life, her face flushed and circles under her eyes. The Demi-Saiyan would have laughed if he hadn't been sure she would have killed him for it.

"Good morning," He managed out of the corner of his mouth, walking past her to the refridgerator.

"If it's good for you...sure," Bra said heavily, staring at her coffee cup.

"I take it you didn't sleep good," He replied, taking a seat beside her, toaster pastry in hand.

"How could anyone after seeing---" She didn't finish, but shuddered greatly and took a swig of her coffee.

"I think you're taking this too seriously," Trunks said with a frown.

"Oh, really?" She snapped with a sleepy gaze, "Fine, but whenever you walk in on them, I don't want to hear a _WORD_!"

Shortly after Bra spoke, Bulma walked into the room, her hair down and in long bouncy curls, looking much younger and feverish than she had in a long time. She smiled at her children as she walked to the coffee machine and poured herself a cup.

"Hello everyone," She said with a glowing face.

Bra looked like she was going to hurl; Trunks smiled back, "Morning, mom."

Bulma looked outside and grinned, "It's so beautiful outside," She said with a smile.

"_I_..._am_..._going_..._to_..._vomit_," Bra said under her breath. Trunks glanced at the doorway.

Vegeta strutted, Trunks had to hold in a laugh because it had been awhile since his father had walked with that proud gait, into the kitchen and reached for a cup to get some coffee. He glanced at Bulma who was all smiles. The Saiyan Prince did not seem too different than he usually was, but he seemed to have some flush in his cheeks, and he looked much more approachable than he usually did.

"Hello, Vegeta-San," Bulma said with a tittery voice.

"Morning," Vegeta replied, which was an amazing feat, even for Vegeta. Trunks was surprised; Bra looked mortified still.

"So," Bulma smiled at Vegeta and turned to her son, "What are you doing today Trunks?"

"I think Goten's picking me up today sometime, and we're going to pick out tuxes," The Demi-Saiyan answered.

Bra scoffed at him, "Why are you picking out tuxes?"

"Oh yeah, you weren't there," Trunks smiled evilly, "I'm Goten's best man, remember?"

Vegeta smirked, "Of course wasn't there...she was with that Uub boy," He sneered evilly.

Bulma crossed her arms and sipped her coffee, "Oh I see. Well, make sure to pick out a nice tuxedo, okay?"

Trunks nodded, "I will. Chi Chi, Videl, and 18 are coming along...they'll make sure I will."

"Why are they going?" Bulma asked.

"They have to get Marron a wedding dress, remember?"

"Oh, that's right," Bulma sighed, "One's mind tends to slip when occupied with other things," She glance over at Vegeta, who gave her a rare smile.

"I'm going outside!" Bra said, standing up suddenly and taking her coffee cup with her outside. She slammed the door behind her, and Trunks and Bulma recoiled slightly as it hit. Vegeta merely smirked,

"It's her fault that she opened the door," He said over his cup of coffee.

Trunks smiled, _You can't argue with logic like that..._

Chi Chi bounded past into the kitchen where 18, Marron, Videl, and Pan were all sitting, waiting for her to get there. She had a large white dress wrapped up in her arms, covered in a plastic bag.

"Ready to go?" Chi Chi said in a eager voice.

"What's that?" Pan asked with mild curiousity, eyeing the plastic bag.

"Oh, this?" Chi Chi blushed slightly and smiled, "It's my wedding dress. We're going to have Marron try it on at the store," She said with a grin towards Marron, who looked nervous.

"It's not going to fit," Marron mumbled to her mother, but 18 shook her head to silence her. The Android knew that argueing with Chi Chi wouldn't lead to anything good.

"Why do _I _have to go again?" Pan frowned as they headed out the door.

"Because you need to try on a Maid of Honor gown," Videl said sternly.

"That's right," Marron winked at Pan, "You get the special job of the wedding."

Pan made an annoyed face, "You know I'm fourteen, I'm not a baby. I _know _what my job is," She said trying to sound mature. She was the shortest of the group, but was almost as tall as Marron.

Videl gave her daughter a scolding look, but Pan ignored it. Before her mother could get onto the young girl about manners, a figure landed beside them. The group jumped back in surprise.

"Hey," The voice was Goten's, much to Pan's surprise and joy.

"_GOTEN_!" Pan ran to her uncle's arms and gave him a hug. She looked up at him with eager eyes, "How was Roshi's? Did you talk alot? Did you fight with him? Was he looking at those nasty magazines of girls that Marron said he had---"

"Woah, woah, _woah_!" Goten stepped back smiling a surprised grin, "Take it easy, Pan! All we did was talk about his former students and the World Martial Arts Tournament."

"Oh," Pan sounded disappointed. "That stinks." Goten smiled at her, as she turned to her mother, "Is Goten coming _with _us?"

"Yes," Videl grinned, watching her daughter's eyes light up, "He and Trunks have to try on tuxes at the same shop."

"AWESOME!" Pan screamed and quickly found herself walking beside Goten ahead of the group. Videl sighed; _my daughter is such a tomboy..._ Then she smirked to herself, _Just like I was..._

Marron picked up the pace and went to the other side of Goten and gripped his hand in hers, "So Roshi wasn't bad?"

"It was actually interesting," Goten replied, smiling down at her. "Did you know he was over four hundred years old?"

Marron's eyes went wide, "No, I didn't," But her voice was not as surprised as Goten's had been when he'd found out.

"I told him after we were married, that I'd go and train with him." Goten told his future wife, who looked suddenly appalled.

"Why on earth would you say such a thing?" She asked him with a raised eyebrow.

Goten shrugged and smiled, "It sounds interesting, training again." He secretly had other motives for training under Roshi, but didn't want to tell her at that time. "We could stay with him for a while, while I train." He said in a hopeful voice.

"_Me_?" Marron said with a sarcastic laugh, "Stay with _Roshi_?"

Goten's face fell; Pan snickered.

"Are you _serious_, Goten?" Marron said as she turned away from him. Goten sighed; it was going to take a little more than he'd expected to convince the blonde to stay at Roshi's. Pan smiled up at her uncle,

"I could train with you and Roshi," She smiled. Goten at that moment was extremely grateful she was his neice.

Videl overheard her daughter, "Pan, what are you talking about?" She called out from behind the trio.

"Goten's going to train with Roshi after him and Marron are married!" Pan burst out; Goten immediately took back the gratefullness he had for his neice. Videl, 18, and Chi Chi's eyes widened, and Goten found himself face to face with all three of them in an instant.

"Excuse me?" Videl said with an angry voice.

18 cut in beside Videl, her eyes on fire, "My daughter is not going anywhere near that perverted sack of--"

"Training?" Chi Chi screeched, cutting 18 off, "Why on earth would you want to go _train _after you're _married_?"

Goten gazed at the three women with a nervous face, "B--but didn't d--dad train after you and him were married?"

"That's _totally _different," Chi Chi said at once, but there was pink in her cheeks.

"Besides, does Marron want to go off and live with some crazy pervert while you train with him?" 18 said with a snap to her voice that stung Goten like a whip's lashing.

Marron tossed her golden hair behind her shoulder and stepped in front of Goten, her eyes full of determination. The three women went silent, even Pan stopped smiling and paid attention to the blonde.

"Listen, you three," Marron said with a stone cold voice that was highly unlike her usual voice, and this surprised Goten the most, "Goten is my future husband, but he also isn't _my _slave. If he wants to go train with Roshi," She paused and looked up at her husband, who bore an unreadable face, "Then he has my full support."

Goten beamed at his fiancee's words, but the three women were furious. Pan smiled in admiration of Marron.

"Marron!" 18 said fiercely, "You're going to stay at home alone while your husband trains?"

"No of course not," Marron smiled, "I plan to go with him."

This caused an even bigger uproar from the mothers.

"Sweetheart," Chi Chi said with a sad and angry mixed expression, "You don't have to go with Goten," She shot her son a filthy look, "He's just being silly--"

"_Silly_? He's being insane," 18 cut in.

"_MOM_!" Marron yelled and silenced the women. She sighed and smiled at her husband, "If Goten wants to train with Roshi, I'm not going to stop him. I will go with him and I may even _TRAIN WITH ROSHI MYSELF_," Marron stressed these last words, "If I _want _to!"

The three women looked flabbergasted. Pan was jumping up and down with excitement,

"Wow! Marron's going to train too? That's _so _cool!" The teenage girl said with joy in her voice, "We can all train together!"

18 stared at her daughter in confusion, "Why--why would _you _want to train?"

Marron smiled and stared at the four women around her, "You all are strong and have fighting in your blood. And I'm," She frowned slightly, "I'm no fighter. But maybe if Roshi trains me a little, I can learn to take care of myself if the time comes I have to." She looked to her husband.

Goten smiled and gripped her shoulders, "That sounds wonderful to me."

Pan giggled, "Marron's gonna train with Goten and me!" She jumped up and down with excitement, and Marron grinned at the girl, happy she was accepting of her choice.

The Android sighed, but shook her head in disbelief as a smile formed on her face, "Figures." She smirked, "My daughter couldn't be content with being normal..."

"Have I ever?" Marron smiled.

"For a time," 18 remarked, but was starting to accept her daughter's will. _What else could she do?_

Chi Chi stared at her and Goten, "Well, you are all insane, that's all I can say."

Videl stared at her daughter, "And you think you're going to train with them, Pan?" She asked with an arched eyebrow.

"Of course!" Pan said, then lowered her voice guiltily, "Uh, that is, if you'll let me," She said innocently.

Videl's blue eyes sparkled in an unusual way, "I thought you were going to train with Vegeta?"

Pan's mouth dropped; she'd forgotten about that. "Oh yeah...dad told you about that...uh," She turned towards Marron and Goten with a guilty frown, "I guess I'll have to train with Vegeta then..."

"Don't worry about it," Goten smiled, and winked at his future wife, "I think we can handle Roshi by ourselves."

Trunks pulled on a black t-shirt bearing the logo CAPSULE CORP. and dusted off his orange training pants he was wearing. Bulma watched him dust off his pants from the table, where she sat drinking a cup of coffee,

"What kind of tux will you be getting?" She asked over her coffee cup.

"I guess it'll depend on what kind of dress Pan gets," Trunks said dryly, getting himself a glass of water.

Bulma's lips pursed as she lowered her cup, "_Oh, I see_." The Demi-Saiyan could tell the resentment in her voice, but didn't feel like argueing with her at this point on Pan.

He gave her a forced smile and downed the glass of water, deciding not to say anything more on the subject.

Just as Bulma was about to say something, Vegeta marched into the room, an intent look about him.

"Where's Bra?" He asked stubbornly, as if he'd been searching for her for a long time.

"I don't know. Why?" Bulma snapped back just as stubbornly. Trunks merely watched them.

"She wanted to _talk _to _me_, dammit," Vegeta growled, his black eyes flaming. Bulma sighed and rolled her eyes, tossing her blue curls behind her head.

"WELL, just so you know, I _THINK _she's outside...but I'm not sure," She added, giving him a sharp glare.

The Saiyan prince grunted and quickly stormed outside, leaving a huffy Bulma in his wake.

Trunks sighed, _I preferred them when they were in the love-making mode..._ And he found he had to stop thinking and wait a moment to get this image out of his mind, cringing slightly as he did.

Uub tucked in the white shirt into his dark blue training pants and looked himself over in the mirror. He wasn't narcissistic, in fact he hardly ever looked at himself in the mirror, but compared to how he usually appeared, he thought he looked decent. _At least I'm not dripping in sweat like I usually am_, he thought with a frown.

The warrior mulled over in his mind whether he really wanted to go through with this or not. It was a huge step, the biggest Uub had ever taken in his life. _Come on now...you can't have second thoughts...didn't we make up our minds on this?_

_Of course, _the voice in his head answered_, But you didn't think much about this before now..._

_I love her, _Uub repeated to himself with a proud smile_, Goten's right...I have to do this._

_But NOW? _The voice in his head retaliated, _Why not wait another month or two?_

Uub paused and thought about this option. He hadn't thought of that until now. He gazed back at the mirror, at the handsomely clad Uub standing beside him, staring back at him. He nearly reached to take off the pressed white shirt, but paused and a dark smile lit his face.

_No...I can't wait for this...Damn it, Goten...why couldn't you have kept your mouth shut on this one?_

18, Chi Chi, and Videl sat in the four-seater Capsule Corp Chopter that Krillin and 18 owned and stared out the window as they flew along to the Brief's home. Chi Chi sighed as she looked out the window, at the three figures flying in the air beside them.

"You'd think they could have just rode with us," She mumbled.

Goten and Marron and Pan were flying alongside the copter, the wind billowing through Marron's golden hair as she smiled to her future husband,

"It's gorgeous up here," She commented as she gave him a warm smile.

Goten grinned mischieviously, "And to think if I hadn't taught you how to fly...none of this would have happened," He winked at her, and Marron felt her cheeks turn red.

"I would have learned either way," She said in a defiant voice, but Goten could tell she was lying.

Pan laughed, "See Goten, she didn't need your help!"

Goten smiled at his neice and then flew up beside Marron and wrapped an arm around her. Normally she would have drawn away, but she let him grasp around her waist as he pulled her towards him and spoke softly into her ear,

"Not that long ago, it was me holding you up in the air to keep you from falling," He whispered with a smile.

Marron gave him a devilish grin, "_Oh_...think I'd forgotten about that?"

"Well," He grinned, "I did think that--"

"You!" She poked him playfully in the ribs. He was about to kiss her, when he saw his mother and 18 watching him out of the capsule copter window and felt his stomach churn a little. Marron eyed him suspiciously, "What's wrong?"

"Your mom and my mom are watching us," He said with a little uncertainty. Marron nodded her head.

"Oh," She sighed, "It's alright Goten, I--"

"_LOOK_!" Pan cut in, pointing downward to a large house and grounds spread out before them, "It's Trunks' house!"

"Yep," Goten said turning towards Pan. Marron felt like she should finish what she was saying to Goten, but somehow her heart wasn't into it at that moment. Instead, she focused on descending towards the Brief's home below them.

The three descended onto the grass right out in front of the Brief home, as the capsule copter landed not too far from them in a designated area for Capsule Corp vehicles landing. As Chi Chi, 18, and Videl stepped out of the copter, Bulma came rushing out the side door of the house to meet them.

"Hey everyone!" She called out, her bluish green curls blowing in the dying wind of the copter blades.

"Hello, Bulma," Chi Chi smiled as she greeted her across the lawn.

Videl waved, "Hey!" 18 smiled, but her greeting was silent; not surprising to Bulma.

"Where's Goten?" Bulma asked curiously.

Chi Chi pointed to the front door, where Goten, Marron, and Pan were already talking to Trunks, who'd walked out to meet them.

"Trunks," Goten smiled and connected fists with his best friend.

"Goten," The Demi-Saiyan smiled, and nodded to Marron, "Hey," He said smiling; Marron blushed. He looked down at Pan, "Hey, you ready to get that bridesmaid dress?"

Pan frowned, "Thrilled..."

Trunks laughed sarcastically, "Ha! Well, I'm glad someone else here has that enthusiasm!"

"_What _enthusiasm?" Bulma and the mothers were now next to them.

"Nothing," Trunks replied with a stern look. The others wondered what was up with the two.

"Can we get this over with?" Pan said in a childish voice that made Bulma's hair stand almost on end, her lips pursed in a very stern glare. No one but Trunks noticed the look, as Chi Chi smiled to her granddaughter.

"Alright, we can go now! Bulma would you like to join us?"

Bulma smiled, but shook her head, "No, sorry, I have to do some work today. I'm sure you guys don't need my help anyway." Her eyes flickered towards her son, who didn't look directly at her.

"Oh," Chi Chi frowned, "Well, we'll be off then. Take care, Bulma!" She waved to the blue haired woman.

"Thanks, you too," Bulma said, disappearing into the house as they walked away.

"That's odd for her not to come," Videl commented. Trunks tried to ignore their conversation and turned back to Goten.

"So, about these tuxes," He started, "What do we know about them?"

Goten smiled, "I was about to ask you the same question!"

"Are the dresses and tuxes in the same store?" Pan asked Marron.

"I think so," The blonde replied as they took off into the air, while the mothers got into the Capsule Corp. copter and flew off, keeping a little distance between them and the flying group next to them.

Bulma watched them leave from the window in the kitchen, and sighed as she turned away from it. For some reason, she had a bad feeling about the whole thing...and she wasn't quite sure why.

Vegeta had just made it to the yard, when he spotted a figure sitting at a picnic table not too far from him. The long straight teal hair gave her away in an instant. Frustrated for having looked for her for so long, Vegeta stalked towards the figure and reached out to grab his daughter by the shoulders.

"_Ahhh_!" Bra screamed in surprise as he gripped her arm, then her eyes narrowed when she realized it was her father. "Oh...it's just you, daddy."

"Just me?" The Saiyan smirked angrily, "You sound relieved."

"Heh," She gave him an evil smile, "Well, you scared me, that's all."

"I've been looking for you all morning!" The Saiyan sneered, "Where have you been?"

"Out here if you'd take the chance to look!" Bra snapped, crossing her arms at her chest. The Saiyan Prince snorted,

"Peh! I shouldn't have to come out to find you! You should be near me at _all _times!"

"I _WAS _near you, father!" Bra rolled her eyes. "The back yard isn't a million miles away you know!"

"Don't back talk," Vegeta growled and sat beside her. "Now, I think that after last night's incident--" He paused to allow his daughter to finish with her fake vomiting gestures, "--that you need to know some things about me and your mother."

"Such as?" Bra raised her eyebrows skeptically.

"Such as the reason your mother and I were that way last night," The saiyan said bluntly. "Now, usually that situation would occur when a man and a woman--"

"Wait," Bra held up her hand to silence her father, a laugh apparent in her voice, "What are you doing?"

"What are you talking about? I'm telling you about the--"

"Are you trying to tell me the birds and the bees story, daddy?" Bra looked on the verge of laughing.

"Argh," Vegeta growled, "Kakarot calls it that! Yes, I figured you were old enough to understand--"

"_HA HA HA!!!" _Bra nearly fell off the picnic table laughing, as the Saiyan Prince gave her an angry glare.

"What's so funny?" He asked sternly.

"Daddy, no offense, but I already know the story about the 'birds and the bees'," Bra snickered, setting herself back onto the table.

"You---already know?" Vegeta frowned, his brow furrowing. "How?"

"I'm not dumb, dad...you learn these things a long time before you're my age," She said with a sigh, her thumb tapping on the wooden table.

Vegeta smirked; _so his daughter didn't need him telling her anything. That was a relief. _He gave his daughter a smug look of curiousity.

"Sooo," He said slowly, his eyes narrowing and a faint smile playing on his lips, "Where and when did you find out about this story?"

Bra fell silent, but her cheeks had a slight tint of pink in them that hinted at embarrassment.

Vegeta smirked at her obvious red cheeks, "I'm waiting..."

The group of seven stared at the large wedding shop store in front of them. The white washed structure was two stories tall and looked eleagant and impressive. Several dresses were lined up in large eight foot tall windows and a few tuxes were thrown into the display, each dummy's hand resting gently on the wedding dress' waist beside it. Goten looked involuntarily down at Marron after noticing this, and their wedding seemed even closer than a month.

"_Wow_," Videl said in awe, "It's a lot bigger than I thought it'd be."

"Hmmph," Chi Chi said in an unimpressed voice, "It doesn't really seem like an appropriate location in town for a wedding shop," She looked around at the other stores surrounding the area.

"It's _fine_," 18 said in a huffy voice as she headed towards the doors to the building. The others promptly followed, whether they were hesitant of the intimidating store or not.

The store was busy, people darting in and out of the store, many of the customers women with wedding dresses in hand to be tried on. Several store clerks were running around trying to accomodate for all the women coming at them with dresses.

"I think we should ask someone to help us first," Videl commented with a nervous glance. 18, Chi Chi, and Marron nodded.

"What about me and Trunks?" Goten asked curiously.

"And what about me?" Pan said nervously.

"Okay," Videl smiled, "I'll go with Trunks and Goten and Pan to get them set up."

"We'll go with Marron," 18 said, turning to Chi Chi, who nodded at the plan.

Goten, Trunks, and Pan followed Videl to the second level of the store, while 18 and Chi Chi led a nervous looking Marron away towards the wedding dresses. Videl looked around once they reached the second level, looking for a store clerk to assist them.

A tall blonde walked towards them, a frantic look about her.

"Can I help you?" She said in a breathless voice, her blonde hair tangled and the makeup running off her face.

Videl tried to give her a casual smile, stepping in front of Goten and Trunks, "We need to get these two fitted with tuxes," She pointed to the two men, "And this one in a bridesmaid's dress." She placed a hand on Pan's shoulder.

The blonde sighed in understanding, "Okay, hold on." She pulled aside a young looking girl with pink hair, "Callie, go with her to get a bridesmaids dress and escort these two men to Yvonne in the tuxes, okay?"

"Sure," Callie said brightly, looking a lot less stressed than the blonde who rushed away to help someone else as she led the group away with her.

"Look at all this," Goten mumbled to Trunks as several women toting white gowns passed by them.

"No kidding," Trunks replied, "And they're all here to get married."

"Not all of them!" Pan said with a sour expression, and the two Demi-Saiyans smiled.

"We didn't forget you Pan!" Goten said with a grin. Pan's face formed a small pout but she didn't say anything in reply, as they entered a part of the store labeled BRIDESMAIDS.

"Okay," The woman called Callie turned to them, "I'll help you find your bridesmaid's dress," She said looking down at Pan with a smile.

Pan frowned, and turned to her mom, "Do I _have _to do this?"

"Oh? A tomboy are we?" Callie gave Videl a sweet smile. Pan looked disgusted.

"_Tomboy_? I'll show you tomb--"

"Pan," Videl cut her daughter off and looked up at Callie, "She needs a navy blue one. I'll go with the boys to help them with their tuxes."

"WHAT?" Pan was flabbergasted. _Her own MOTHER wasn't going with her?_

"You're a big girl aren't you?" Videl's eyes narrowed as she smiled, "What do you need me for?"

"But--but--" Pan whined slightly, "Trunks and Goten are old enough they don't need your help!"

"They're men," Videl said curtly, "It's a whole different process."

"Don't worry," The pink haired woman chuckled as a dark skinned woman, apparently Yvonne, led the other three away to the tuxes, "It won't take us long to get you in a dress. Follow me," She started walking towards several racks of colorful dresses. Pan, who suddenly felt sick at her stomach, followed suit with some hesitance.

_You can do this...you can do this..._

Uub repeated these words to himself as he approached the steps to the Brief's home. He really couldn't believe he was doing this; acting on the words of one individual, and not one he usually listened to. But Goten's words had sparked something in him that he hadn't dealt with in a while: the sheer truth of the matter that he loved Bra. Pure and simple.

The warrior reached the door and almost didn't knock. He almost turned around and left; never to know what would have happened if he had knocked. But he couldn't will himself to leave. He'd come this far, hadn't he? He couldn't turn back now. This was it. He could do this.

Uub raised his fist, and knocked on the door.

At first there was silence, then the door slowly opened and revealed not Bra, but Bulma on the other end.

"Oh!" She said in a surprised tone, as she opened the door wider, "Uub...this is unusual."

"Yeah," He blushed and ran a hand involuntarily to his head, "I--uhm--I was wanting to talk with Bra."

"Of course," Bulma said, still surprised, "She's out back. Is there something wrong?" She raised her eyebrows skeptically.

"No, no," Uub said waving his hands in a gesture that signaled that, "I just...need...to talk to her!"

"I see," Bulma now wanted for _sure _to know what was up. "Well come in. She's just beyond that door over there," She pointed to the one leading out of the kitchen. It seemed like miles away for Uub.

He tried to quickly get to the door, but not so obviously to Bulma, who seemed to already sense something was amiss. He reached the back door and opened it to find the person in front of him to be the last he'd hope to see.

Vegeta stood directly in front of him, as if he'd wanted to open the door at the same time as him. Uub almost yelped in surprise, but remembered to compose himself for the Saiyan. This was going to be a Hell of a lot harder for him to hear and take than Bra herself.

"You," The Saiyan growled in seething anger, giving the boy an angry scowl. Bra was behind him, her face lit up in matching surpise like Bulma's.

"Uub?" She said in shock. "What are you doing here?"

"Yes, what are you doing here?" The prince said in a mocking voice, anger laced in his words. Uub gulped, but not audibly enough to hear.

Bulma grasped her husband's arm, "Vegeta-San, he came to talk to Bra. It's okay."

"Okay? That sniveling weakling comes to _my _house to talk to _my _daughter and you're just going to--"

Bulma silenced him with a touch of her finger to his lips, "Shhh. Just let him talk to her, okay?" She said with a furrowed brow and a nagging look that Vegeta considered a threat.

But the Saiyan Prince was not about to leave his daughter alone with the boy...not again, "No," He turned to the surprised warrior, "If he has something to say, I want to hear it!"

_Oh no, _Uub thought mortified,_ He's not going to leave us alone, is he? _

"_Daddy_!" Bra cried out with angry eyes, "Come on! Let me have some privacy!"

Vegeta saw the sweat breaking on Uub's forehead and smirked evilly, "Come on boy! You came here to talk, let's hear it!" He said smugly.

Bulma was about to nag her husband into leaving, when Uub sighed and smiled serenely, a smile that for some reason bothered Vegeta more than anything so far. It was a smile that hinted at fearlessness, and that also worried Vegeta.

_There's...no reason to worry now..._Uub sighed, the smile growing wider as his senses calmed and he became more in tune with himself_, He'll find out eventually..._and now he smirked, which caused Vegeta to gape. He'd never seen the boy so calm and without worry. The smile made Uub seem a thousand times more powerful than he had before.

"No need, I can talk in front of all of you," Uub said to Bulma, seeing her worried expression. Vegeta was silent as Uub turned to Bra, who was staring at him as if first seeing him truly as he was.

"Uub--?"

The warrior gripped Bra by the shoulders, a gesture she wasn't used to, and sat her down on the picnic table beside him. Vegeta motioned to stop him, but Bulma held him back, intent on hearing what he had to say.

"Bra," He looked at the ground, his brow furrowed, "I shouldn't be asking this of you...because I know the answer already. I don't really know why I'm here doing this...except," He looked up at her dark blue eyes, "That I love you."

Bulma let out a sweet sigh, as she stared misty-eyed towards Uub. Vegeta stood still, mouth slightly open, confused.

Bra was in shock, her mouth dangling open, "What are you saying?" For once, she seemed dumbfounded.

"I know it's asking too much from you," He was starting to doubt himself, but kept on talking, "But I had to ask you this now...because it would come enevitably and I can't hold it in much longer." He held his stare with Bra, who seemed beside herself for once, her face pale and alert.

Vegeta and Bulma watched in silence; Bulma sensing what was coming, and Vegeta just plain confused still.

"Uub...you're saying..." Bra couldn't finish, but the look of apprehension on her face gave it away that she realized what he was saying.

"Yes," The warrior whispered, glad she understood. "Bra..._will you marry me?"_

There was a moment of silence, followed by three different voices reacting at once.

"OH MY _GOSH_!" Bulma was crying tears of joy, "SOMEONE'S _FINALLY _ASKED BRA--"

**_"WHAT?!?" _**Vegeta looked furious with rage, his fists clenched, "HOW **_DARE _**YOU EVEN **_THINK _**TO ASK **_MY _**DAUGHTER IF YOU COULD--"

"Yes."

The two parents stopped and stared at the word, that had came from their daughter's mouth. Bra was now gripping Uub's hand in hers, and she seemed totally different than she ever had in that moment; calm and clear eyed, no trace of anger or risiliance in her voice. It had been the simplest and purest answer any of them had ever heard from her.

"What did you say?" Uub was sure he'd heard wrong.

"I said yes," Bra smiled, and gripped his hand tighter. "Took you long enough to ask me! I was starting to wonder--"

"Your'e serious?" Uub's face lit up with joy, "You mean you're _serious_--?"

Bra smirked and gave a laugh, but Vegeta had broken free of Bulma's grip and had marched over to Uub and lifted him off the ground, the boy's hand still intertwine with Bra's. His daughter gave him a malicious stare.

"_Daddy_!"

"Don't talk to me," The prince snapped, "How dare you as well!" He shot her a deadly look, "Agreeing to marry this Earth scum!"

"Vegeta, stop this! Let him go!" Bulma grabbed Vegeta's arm, trying to move him, but he didn't budge.

"Not _now_, woman! When I'm done snapping his spine in two, _then _I'll talk to yo---"

But Vegeta didn't get to finish his sentence, because Uub had broke free of the Saiyan's grip and had kicked him hard in the face, sending the prince rocketing into the picnic table, which collapsed on contact. Bra and Bulma gasped, but Uub merely walked towards Vegeta, who had a shocked look on his face, blood trickling down his chin.

"Listen, Vegeta," Uub said, his voice turned steely and hard, "I'm no Saiyan, but I'm a strong warrior, and I've asked for your daughter's hand. I'm not one on tradition either, so correct me if I'm wrong, but I see that you have no say in our affairs."

Vegeta raised his eyebrows in disbelief, "_YOUR _affairs--?"

"You heard me," The harshness of his voice surprised even himself. Uub clenched his fists, "I'm not afraid to beat you to a pulp. Trust me I can...I'm a lot stronger than you." He was now inches from the Saiyan.

Vegeta smirked, despite his aching jaw, "Oh really? Stronger than me?"

"Yes," Uub now smiled triumphantly, "I believe I am."

"So then why should I let you marry Bra?" Vegeta asked, crossing his arms, with a triumphant smirk of his own. "You seem more like a threat to my daughter, and you're not a Saiyan, which is what I'd have my daughter marry...so why should I let you?"

Uub had expected this from him, and smiled, which surprised Vegeta, "I would never harm your daughter...I love her. More over, I'd protect her rather. Also," He grinned, because he knew this would grab Vegeta's attention, "I'm not a Saiyan, but I will definately make sure our children, should we have any," His eyes glanced towards Bra for a split second, "will be trained and be the strongest fighters in the galaxy." He stared down at Vegeta, "Would _GOTEN_, an actual _SAIYAN _promise that more for Bra and you?"

The words hit Vegeta head on like a sledgehammer. The Saiyan prince actually had to stop and consider the boy's words. Bra's face lit up, as she had never seen this side of Uub before. She realized she liked this side of him a lot better than his usual self, as she gave him a sly grin. Bulma couldn't believe the boy's logic on this one, as she'd never heard him say this much before.

Vegeta was quiet for a moment, then looked straight up at Uub.

"You'll train your children?" Was the first thing out of his mouth.

"Of course," Uub replied without hesitation.

"And you'll protect Bra?"

"From anything."

"And you're so sure you're stronger than I am?"

"There's no doubt," Uub said with a smug look on his face.

The Saiyan Prince smirked and stood up, seeing the boy in a new light; not a brighter one, but a visible light. He turned towards his daughter, who was looking hopefully at him. "Girl," He said with a slight anger in his voice. "You sure you want to marry this scum?"

Bra had never looked more sure of anything in her life, "Dad, there's no question. The moment we met," She smiled at him, "I knew we were meant to be."

"Very well," He sighed and turned to Uub, "Boy...for now...you can marry my daughter."

Uub let out a sigh of relief in his mind; _Wow...I thought he'd never say that!_

"_DADDY_!" Bra ran into Vegeta's arms, hugging him. He accepted the hug with a small snort of disapproval. "Thank you!"

"I never thought you could date someone for a week and then marry them," Vegeta said in a murmur.

"That's how it was with us though, wasn't it?" Bulma said with misty eyes.

"Hhhhmmmph," Vegeta snorted, not answering her, but staring at Uub now.

"Boy, as soon as I can get my daughter off of me," He motioned towards his embracing offspring, "We're going to find out who's the stronger of us, understand?"

Uub, who had butterflies in his stomach, his heart racing, and a nervous but satisfied look on his face, merely grinned.

Trunks stepped out of the dressing room wearing a long black tuxedo with a navy blue rose pinned to the pocket. Videl and Yvonne inspected him as he stepped onto a pedestal that had been placed in the middle of the room in front of five long mirrors.

"Oh, Trunks, you look nice!" Videl commented, as she looked him over.

"The black goes good with your hair," Yvonne noted, starting to alter the hem at the bottom of his pant legs. Trunks blushed,

"T--thanks."

"Hey Trunks!" Goten's voice hollered from behind a dressing room door. "Are you done yet?"

"No," Trunks sighed, "I'm just getting fitted in my tux. Why?"

"Well," Goten sounded nervous, "This jacket's a little small and I--"

"Hold on!" Videl called out, a worried look on her face, "Just let me help you get it off!"

"No, I can get it off," Goten said with an exasperated voice, as if he was struggling with something, "It just needs a good tug--"

"GOTEN NO!" Videl cried out, and Yvonne looked up at them for a moment. "No tug! Just wait! I'll come in and help you!"

"But--but--" Goten sputtered, "You can't!"

"Of course I can," Videl huffed, "Now let me in so I can assist you in getting that jacket off before you rip it!"

"I'm fine!" Goten insisted, but Videl was sure she heard a small rip in the jacket, "Besides...you can't...I'm...," He lowered his voice a lot so only Videl could hear him, "I'm not wearing any pants, Videl."

The blue eyed woman nearly laughed her head off at that moment due to his innocent answer, but she held it in, chuckling. _So THAT'S why he didn't want me in there! _"Goten," She whispered back sincerely, "Are you wearing underwear...I hope?"

There was a small pause. "Well, today I am."

Videl cringed, _Not the best answer...but still..._"Okay, then, I'm coming in to help, before one of the store clerks does. Do you want THAT?"

The door swinged open immediately, revealing Goten clad in blue boxers and a tight black jacket. Trunks snickered, but held a hand to his face to stop him from laughing; Yvonne looked at him with a sincere face.

"Nice undergarments," She said mildly.

Goten blushed and hurried Videl into the dressing room with him. "Just get it off!" He pleaded.

"Fine," Videl sighed, tugging the jacket slowly off his chest.

Trunks smiled at his friend's situation as Yvonne continued to hem around the legs of his tuxedo pants.

"Friend of yours?" She asked him with an upward glance, sewing needles held in her mouth.

The Demi-Saiyan smiled, "You could say that."

Meanwhile, Chi Chi had begged Marron to try on her wedding dress.

"Come on out with it on, sweetie!" Chi Chi said in an eager voice. 18 rolled her eyes,

"She's still getting it on obviously."

"Poppycock," Chi Chi said with a slight snort, "It didn't take me THAT long to get it on for my own wedding!"

The Android sneered, "Is that so?"

There was a slight shuffling in the dressing room, and Marron's sighs of nervousness were apparent outside of the barrier.

"What is it, Marron?" The two women asked at once.

"Uh...uh...," Marron's voice sounded weaker than usual. "I don't think this is going to work," Marron said in a hesitant voice.

"WHY NOT?" Chi Chi roared; 18 shoved her aside nonchalantly.

"What is it?"

"Well...this dress...uh," Marron said nervously, as Chi Chi stood beside 18, an angry look on her face.

"It doesn't fit does it?" 18 finished her sentence.

The dressing room door swung open wide, revealing Marron, who looked extremely embarrassed, holding up the wedding gown's top, as she turned around slowly. The dress was so large on her, that if she'd let it go, it would have dropped to the ground on its own accord. Marron gave her mother and Chi Chi a shameful look. 18 looked satisfied, but Chi Chi was beside herself.

"Wha--what--how is this?" She sputtered.

"Simple, the dress doesn't fit," 18 smiled.

"But--but--" Chi Chi couldn't believe it.

"I'm so sorry," Marron said, her face red, still trying to hold the dress up with her hands.

18 smiled, happy that Chi Chi's ego had been deflated a bit, "It's alright, I sent a woman to find a dress in your size already."

"Really?" Marron looked happier at this statement.

Chi Chi frowned and sighed, "It's--it's not your fault I guess," She said in an exhausted voice, "You can't help it you're so thin..."

Marron frowned at this, but 18 gave her daughter a reassuring look, "Not many girls are as lucky as you and me," She winked.

The blonde smiled as a young associate with tight curly brown hair came bounding up to 18 with several white gowns in her arms. She looked petrified of 18, and handed them off to the mother quickly.

"Just the sizes you asked for," the woman said nervously, giving the two mothers a skeptical glance.

The android smiled, "Thank you, these are perfect."

"You're welcome," The brunette said backing away, "If you n--need anything, let me know," and she was gone from sight.

Chi Chi gave 18 a curious glance, "How did you know what dress size Marron would need?"

"She and I wear the same size anything almost," 18 smiled, handing Marron a dress, "So it wasn't that hard."

"Oh," Chi Chi frowned, as Marron handed her wedding dress back to her. Chi Chi snuggled it next to her face and sighed; _Oh well...maybe Pan can wear it someday..._

"Try this one, Goten," Videl said, offering him a different jacket. He had his pants on now, and was trying on different tuxedo jackets. Trunks was getting the last hems on his jacket done by Yvonne, and Goten was next on the pedestal.

"Looking good, Trunks," Goten smiled and gave his best friend a thumbs up. Trunks smiled with a little force, he had to admit that he was getting tired of standing around looking like a fool on the pedestal.

"Are you done yet?" He asked with slight impatience.

Yvonne smiled quite sarcastically, "Have I quit working on your jacket yet?"

_Figures...smart question...smart answer..._ "No, nevermind."

"Heh, heh," Goten chuckled, then noticed the woman in the doorway. "Oh, hello."

Callie was at the doorway, her pink hair slightly frizzed and her clothes somewhat disheveled. Videl gave the woman a confused glance.

"What happened? Is everything alright?" Videl said, backing away from Goten's jacket and towards the pink haired woman.

"No no no, everything's fine," Callie said in a calm voice, straightening her shirt. "We just had some trouble getting the dresses on her..."

"What? Pan wasn't that bad for you was she?" Videl said in a suddenly angrier tone.

"Not at all," Callie said immediately, "She was just hard to size up for a dress...but we got her in one! Here she is," She moved aside so Goten, Trunks, Yvonne, and Videl could see her.

The girl in front of them seemed nothing like Pan at all. Her whtie bandana that she'd wore to the shop had been taken off, so her shoulder length black hair gleemed in the light. The dress was to the floor and navy blue, that was made of a sparkly material. It had two thick straps that hung just off the side of the shoulder, so it made her look a lot older than she really was. She also seemed to have a different posture in the dress and possessed herself different.

The four stared at her and then Videl ran to her daughter.

"Oh my gosh," She exclaimed, grapsing her daughter by the shoulders and examining the dress. "That looks amazing, sweetie!"

Goten smiled, impressed, "Wow, you look nothing like yourself, Pan!" He chuckled.

"Yeah, no kidding!" Trunks could barely tell it was her, he was so used to seeing her in something other than a dress.

"Very stunning," Yvonne added, "You'll be a wonderful bridesmaid."

"Maid of Honor," Pan corrected, feeling happy with how the dress had turned out. _This wasn't so bad after all._

"Now see, Pan, that wasn't so bad, was it?" Videl smiled, but Callie leaned towards the mother with a concerned look on her face.

"About that...you'll need to pay for the three dresses that didn't...work out," She said slowly.

Videl gave her a nervous glance, "What do you mean, _didn't work out_?"

Callie leaned over even more and whispered something into Videl's ears.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN THEY'RE DESTROYED?" Videl roared in shock, and Pan hid behind Goten and Trunks, who were standing side by side.

"Pan, what'd you do?" Trunks asked with a raised eyebrow, a small smirk on his face.

The young girl's face paled, "They couldn't get the dresses to fit right on me the first few times," Pan said in a nervous voice.

"You mean they ripped?" Goten asked innocently. Pan nodded her head vigorously, and Trunks and Goten gave each other a slightly amused look. "I guess that's not good," The Demi-Saiyan said with an astounded voice.

"Well...," Videl said after a long sigh, looking at Callie. "Just...just ring up the costs when we get done, okay?" She looked towards Callie as she said this, and the pink haired woman nodded her head and vanished outside the room. Videl turned to her daughter, who stepped out in front of Goten and Trunks.

"Sorry, mom," She said with a red face, as she looked at the ground.

Videl cradled her daughter's head in her hand, "It's okay...it...happens to the best of us." _Well not really...but..._

"You're done," Yvonne announced and Trunks gratefully hopped off the pedestal.

"Finally," He smiled and headed towards the dressing room.

"Your're next," Yvonne gave Goten a devilish smile as the Demi-Saiyan stepped onto the pedestal. Goten wasn't quite comfortable with the woman, seeing as how she'd commented on his 'nice undergarments.'

"It's okay," Trunks smiled, "You look nice, that's all that matters."

"Thanks," Pan replied, looking downward.

Videl gave the Demi-Saiyan a sharp glance, but realized the gesture had been more of a compliment than anything, and lowered her defenses.

It wasn't too long afterwards that 18, Chi Chi, and Marron showed up at the tuxedos, each with a satisfied look on their face.

"I take it the dress shopping went well?" Videl said with a smiling sigh, as Goten headed to the dressing room, trying not to stick himself with needles that were hemming his outfit.

"Of course," 18 offered, slipping her daughter a pleased look.

"We found a really nice dress!" Marron said excited.

"Wonderful!" Videl chimed in, as Trunks walked out of the dressing room in his normal clothing.

"Find a tux?" Marron asked the Demi-Saiyan, who nodded.

"Pan even got a Bridesmaid's dress...It looks great," Videl smiled at her daughter, trying not to think about the possible prices of the dresses she'd ruined.

"We saw it," Chi Chi mused, "It looked very nice; we ordered Lunch one too."

Goten cracked open the door, "Uhm, can I get some help back here?"

"What is it?" Videl sighed, as Marron walked toward the stall.

"This jacket...the needles caught in my shirt," Goten said with a red face. Videl was about to help, when it was Marron that stepped into the stall in front of her. The blonde turned and gave Videl a sly look.

"I can help him, thanks," She said before shutting the door.

18 turned slightly pink, "Excuse me?"

"Ah, don't worry," Chi Chi smiled, "They were together a whole week; I'm sure there's nothing there she hasn't already seen."

18 immediately turned red in the face, these words not pleasing her in the least, and it was Videl that had to wrangle the Android away from Chi Chi and towards the check out area. Pan giggled and turned to Trunks,

"What are they talking about?"

Trunks smiled slyly, "Eh, nothing you need to worry about," He said as the two followed the mothers to pay for their items, leaving Goten and Marron alone in the stall.

"_OW_!" Goten yelped as Marron pried the needle, that was poking his arm, out of the jacket. "Why'd she have to put so many in this jacket?"

Marron slowly pulled the needle out of this arm as he ducked out of that sleeve. "I don't know...It's just their job, I guess," She smiled.

"Well they shouldn't put in so many," Goten rubbed his one arm, that had many punctures in it and was a sore red color. He looked towards Marron, who was smiling at his innocent gestures. "So, did you find a dress?"

"Yes," She said in an alluring manner.

"Can I see it?"

"Of course not," She scoffed, "It's bad luck to see the wedding dress before a wedding!"

"And you believe in bad luck?" Goten chuckled.

"When it comes to this I do," Marron smiled and started pulling the needles in the other sleeve back just enough so he could pull his arm out.

"Thanks," Goten replied, pulling free of the jacket.

"Well...," Marron examined the jacket and gave Goten a sly smile, "This looks snazzy--"

"Now WAIT," Goten smiled and cornered her against the wall of the dressing room stall, "It's bad luck for a bride to look at the groom before a wedding!"

"Never heard of that one," Marron smiled and placed a finger on the tip of his nose. Goten paused for a second, and then smiled deeply, and leaned towards her to kiss her. The blonde was about to move away, but stopped and shared the kiss with him, grateful for their small moment alone together. Goten broke from the kiss and grabbed the jacket.

"I guess they're waiting on us," He said quietly as they left the dressing room.

"Probably," Marron smiled sweetly, then they heard a loud voice coming from the direction of the register.

**_"2,000 ZINI?!?" _**

****The voice had clearly been both Videl and Chi Chi's. Goten thought he could hear an audible yelp from Pan too.

He turned to Marron, "I think they just found out the cost of the dresses Pan ruined..."

Marron glanced back towards the dressing room, "We could always check and make sure we didn't drop any needles in the stall while we were getting the jacket off..."

"Why would we want to do--?" Goten stopped midsentence when he realized what she was implying. "Oooooh," He smiled and nodded his head, "Yeah, we wouldn't want anyone getting hurt because of those!" He smiled.

"Certainly not..." Marron grinned back and the two dashed towards the dressing room as fast as they could.

_**Sooo...I hope this long chapter didn't booore you to death! I had so much to get done in this chapter, and I AM satisfied with how it turned out...even though I'm a little saddened by the way it worked out...I don't know...I found it kind of lame...what'd you all think?**_

_**Well, NEXT CHAPTER takes an entirely DIFFERENT path than this one, as Goten spends some quality time with Krillin, Vegeta and Uub go one on one in the training chamber (YAY!) and Gohan takes it upon himself to start with Pan's training before she has the chance to go off with Vegeta! Oooh, sounds like fun! Oh, and the wedding's getting CLOSER TOO! bwahahaha!**_

_**So, until next time, keep in touch, send me any comments or suggestions you have, keep on trucking and being awesome like you all are, and remember: Peace out, and rock, ROCK ON!!!!**_

_**ROmania Black**_


	32. He's My Future FatherInLaw

The Taming of the Saiyan

By Romania Black

_**Well, Chapter 32 is here! Woot! This was an amazing chapter to write, because I've never done anything like it! LOL I hope the note below helps make this easier to understand, because this chapter rotates a TON!!! LOL, but having said that, on with the fic!**_

_**Note: This story transitions a lot from one story to the next. The main three plots that will develop are Vegeta VS Uub/Krillin and Goten/Pan VS Gohan ()/and the moments with Trunks and Bra...hope that helps out as you're reading the story!**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own anything of Akira Toriyama! But if he wants to use any of my ideas...GO FOR IT!!! **_

_**Rated T for TEEN due to brief language, mild sexual themes, alcohol reference/consumption, and mild violence (particularly in this chapter)...**_

_**Reviews:**_

**_Witch of Erie Knoll: LOL, I'll have to add you then! lol, your writer alias that is! lol, anywhoo, I'm glad you got vegeta back for those stairs, but the poor bat! Ha ha ha, some duct tape should clear that up! I want to drink with you and Trunks! Invite me over!!!! -Trunks shakes head vigorously and motions for you to say 'no'- LOL, thanks for the review! And I hope you enjoy this chapter! -_**

**_Sinful Sakura: Thanks for the info on Maple story! I'll have to check it out! LOL, oh, and I know what you mean! I live for Bra's suffering too! lol, don't we all? But I was happy she got some good news in the last chapter! Bra's a bitch...but to me, she has her likable qualities...I just can't think of them at the moment! HA HA! Thanks for the reviews and I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as the last one!_**

**_Kumori Ookami: Hey, so glad for the review! I can clear some stuff up for you with this hopefully! To clear things up on the "WTF" thing between Trunks and Pan, I originally had an idea for the two of them (yes I'll admit it) but now I've changed my mind...I have an idea to introduce someone else into the picture...a new character of my own, but am trying to get a spot to insert "Him" - heh heh, and I think he may become a love interest for Pan, as this character is her age...but of course, Pan and Trunks are going to have moments where there's a chemistry there, because I mean, they've been through SO MUCH together, with GT and all...so that's where I'm coming from there...nothing intimate, but still a very close bond. Anywhoo, hope that helps clear the situation up for you! LOL I'm happy Bra's getting Married too, and I'm glad you noticed it was coming as well! Heh, Thanks for getting me this review, it was good to get that off my chest! ANd thanks for the compliment! Glad you're enjoying it! I loved that line with Goten in the blue boxers too:P Hope you enjoy the chapter! _**

_**Also, a special thanks to XXXBillyTalentPhuckingRocksXXX aka former SSJKidGoku for all the emails! It's so much fun talkin to ya! You all make my day with each comment or suggestion you send in..seriously, you have no idea how grateful I am of all of you! I LUV YA! YOU ROCK! Please don't hesitate to send me a comment or suggestion about the story! I appreciate all feedback! Well, enough keeping you all! **_

_**Enjoy the Story!**_

_**Romania Black**_

Chapter Thirty-Two: He's My (Future) Father-In-Law

Uub tightened the sash-like belt around his navy gi outfit and stepped towards the back door. Vegeta had been most persistant about him going one on one with the Saiyan Prince, and Uub was slightly less than thrilled at the idea of it all, despite the tough persona he'd enveloped earlier in the day.

He felt a warm hand on his shoulder and recognized the Ki to be Bra's.

"Hey there," She smiled with a sly grin. "Going to fight my dad?"

"Seems that way," Uub smiled at her, "I can't believe it."

"What? That you're fighting my dad?" Bra asked with a curious glance.

"No, that we're engaged."

"Oh," Bra's cheeks had pink in them, "Well...I knew it'd be inevitable."

"Did you now?" Uub chuckled, downing a glass of water on the countertop beside the door.

"Yes," Bra said with slight impatience. "I always knew," She wrapped an arm over his neck seductively, "That you wouldn't be able to resist me."

Uub chuckled and pecked her lips with a soft grin, "You were right."

"When am I not?" Bra said with an evilly seductive grin and let go of his neck, sighing softly, "I guess you'd better get out there and fight dad..."

"Yeah," Uub said, feeling an empty sensation in the pit of his stomach as she drew away, "He may take back his promise to let me marry you if I don't," He smiled, despite the emptiness.

"Heh," She mused, "I doubt that. Daddy's a man of his word. Besides," She winked at him, "You'll win the fight...don't worry about that."

Uub suddenly felt more reassured than ever by her words, "Thanks, Bra."

She leaned forward and kissed him on the lips, smiling, "Just don't hurt him _too _bad, okay?"

As Uub was getting ready to go fight Vegeta, Goten and the wedding shop group were arriving back at Chi Chi's. The group had been particularly silent, Goten occasionally slipping an odd glance towards his mother, who had refused to talk the whole way back in the copter. She had however mumbled something along the lines of financial concerns and things like, "I wish I had enough money to go around wrecking other dresses..." It was obvious she wasn't happy about Pan's little incident in the shop, where she'd caused more than 2,000 zini worth of damage.

"It's okay, Pan," Marron whispered to the girl as they got off the copter; none of them had flown in the air on the way back, "Chi Chi and Videl will get over it."

"I know," Pan said with a grumpy voice, "But it's not _my _fault that the lady made me get into those dresses--"

"Pan, quit whining and don't worry about it," Videl cut in with a voice that was as steely as a knife. It was obvious she wasn't thrilled. "What's done is done and that's that..."

"2,000 zini," Chi Chi repeated slowly as they got onto the ground below them, the chopper blades dying in above them.

"_Oh SHUT UP_, _CHI CHI_!" Videl screamed, as Marron rushed Goten and Trunks ahead of her into the house before a cat fight could get started. Pan rushed behind them, hot on their trail, as 18 was left watching a furious Chi Chi and Videl screech at each other over Videl's vast wealth and the effects it had on Chi Chi's living.

Marron rushed the gown in her arms towards Chi Chi's room, as Goten and Trunks plopped down onto the couch in the living room. Pan sat near them in a blue recliner, her face one of mixed sadness and boredom.

"Don't take it so hard," Trunks smiled, "It happens to people all the time."

Pan gave him a sullen look, "Yeah, I'm _suuuure _it does," She said with a sarcastic drawl.

Trunks chuckled, "I'm serious, Pan! Bra ripped a dress once at this famous place we went to," He paused, trying to think of its name.

"Really?" Pan said in an astonished voice; Goten sat up straighter in his seat, as if to listen closer.

"You bet...It was..._Ah_," He smiled, "It was an Allende dress she ripped."

"_Allende_? Mom says that's one of the most _expensive _dress designers there is!" Pan was now almost standing in her seat, her eyes wide. "What'd she do to rip it?"

"She tried to get into a size too small...they only make those dresses _so _big," His smile broadened slyly as Pan's sadness started to melt away from her features. Goten chuckled at the thought of Bra trying to get a too small dress on and made a mental note to himself to remind Bra about that the next time he saw her.

"Wow," Pan smiled, looking a lot more cheerful.

"See? You're not the first one to ruin a dress. My sister's proof," Trunks smiled. Pan stood up, her face now beaming,

"You're right. No reason to mope about it," She said casually, tying back her hair in a loose ponytail.

"That's the way to think," Goten smiled. "What are you doing now?" He said, noticing her as she put on her training gloves that were on the coffee table beside them.

"I'm going to go train, if that's alright with you," Pan shot him a glance. "I feel a large amount of energy in me after hearing all that, and I need to get rid of it."

Goten's eyed her suspiciously, "But your mom--"

"I'll tell her on the way out," Pan said, giving the two warriors a smile. "Thanks, I needed that right now," She said with a sincere look.

Trunks nodded, "You didn't need us for anything."

"Don't beat Vegeta up too much, okay?" Goten smiled.

"I won't!" Pan called out as she ran out the door.

Trunks turned to Goten with a huge, confused and skeptical look.

"_Vegeta_?"

The Saiyan Prince stretched his arms over his head and flexed the muscles in his arms, until he was sure they were stretched to their fullest potential. He grasped his wrists and tried to loosen them up. He had known the boy was strong from a year ago with Bebi, but he was confident that he was the stronger of the two. He smiled to himself as he felt the boy approaching, _He hasn't tried to hide his Ki...how pathetic..._

The metal door slid open and Uub walked through the doorway, his steps light as he approached the Saiyan, and bowed his head curtly.

"Are you ready, boy?" Vegeta growled, a smirk playing on his face.

"As I'll ever be," Uub replied quietly, but the Saiyan had heard him.

The two stared at each other for a moment in silence. Then without any previous word, Vegeta took off at the boy, who had not even taken the time to assume a crouching stance. _Fool_, Vegeta thought with a sinister grin,_ He doesn't even get into a proper--_

Vegeta's thoughts were altered when his leg, that had been aiming for Uub's head, was stopped in midair. The Saiyan hung in the air momentarily as he saw Uub's fist grasp ahold of his ankle. Uub was still staring at Vegeta as if nothing had happened. He flicked his wrist, and spun the Saiyan's leg around, causing Vegeta to slam to the ground.

The Saiyan quickly stood up, but his ankle had a small throb to it. He stared dumbfounded at the boy, _How did he--?_

"Are you going to start fighting now," Uub said with a solemn expression, "Or are you going to toy some more?"

The Saiyan roared in anger and launched an energy blast toward Uub, which he dodged and came toward the Saiyan with a blast of his own, followed by a right hook, which narrowly missed Vegeta's face.

Uub and Vegeta landed opposite each other, as the Saiyan prince turned around to look right as Uub was charging back towards him. Vegeta was ready this time and leaped into the air, landing on the other side of Uub and smashing his elbow into the boy's back. Uub gasped in surprise as he was knocked into the wall of the chamber. Vegeta smiled as he watched Uub crash into the metal siding.

"Come on, boy!" He said with a triumphant laugh, as he watched Uub slowly rise to his feet. "That girl of Kakarot's brat put up a better fight than this!" Which to him, was true at this moment.

Uub smiled as he wiped a small trace of blood from his lips; a smile that made Vegeta's look of triumph fade in an instant.

"Oh is that so?" Uub said in a harsher voice than the prince had ever heard from him, "That's funny."

"Is it now?" Vegeta said, but his voice had faltered ever so slightly.

"Yes," Uub smiled evilly, "This was a good warmup I think."

Vegeta's mind was flustered, _Warmup?_

"_HIIIYYYAAAAHHHH_!!!!" Uub sped towards Vegeta as he thought these words and his arms flew furiously towards Vegeta in an attempt to knock him down. The Saiyan dodge the blows, but it was almost everything in his power to dodge the boy. The prince suddenly realized that Uub was very fast indeed.

"You---pretty---fast----boy," Vegeta said, each word coming after he'd dodged a blow from Uub.

The dark warrior smiled as he flew his right fist past Vegeta's face, "I appreciate that," His eyes turned slightly steely, "But I'm not at full power yet."

The Saiyan blinked and was almost hit with a left hook, "What did you say?"

"I said I'm not at full power," Uub smiled, "I'm only at about fifty percent," He said, satisfied by the paled face of Vegeta that dodge his punch.

Vegeta looked slightly flushed, _The boy had hid his Ki after all._

"Well well," Vegeta said, masking his shock with a cocky smirk, "So you have more power in you than I thought."

"Of course," Uub smiled. "Are you scared?"

Vegeta's smirk turned to a look of pure hatred, "Scared? _SCARED_? BOY, I'LL _SHOW _YOU WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE _**SCARED!!!**"_

The Saiyan held his fists out in front of him as he powered up with a roar of energy, and his fire structured hair turned a flaming gold, his eyes crystal blue, as he gave the warrior before a terrifyingly hateful look, his eyes wide with malicious intent. Uub felt his throat tighten slightly as he stared at the Super Saiyan coming towards him.

"I can see you tremble, boy," Vegeta said in a cocky, arrogant, deep voice.

Uub tried to hide the fact that the Saiyan's transformation HAD frightened him a bit; Vegeta's powers had increased enormously because of it.

"I--I'm not shaking," He said with a slight stammer, "And I'm not afraid."

"Well, that's good," Vegeta smiled evilly, "Because you will be once I'm done with you."

Pan walked out the door of her house, leaving Goten and Trunks inside and found herself staring face to face with Krillin.

"Oh, hi, Krillin," Pan said in a somewhat surprised voice. "What are you doing here?"

The diminuitive warrior smirked and looked around nervously, "Well, actually I was out with Gohan at the lake and came to see if Goten was here."

"Yeah, he's inside," Pan pointed to the door. "Why?"

"It's nothing that concerns you," Krillin said in a sweet, but slightly stern voice. "I just need to talk to him."

"Oh," Pan said with a slight smile, but she wondered what he wanted.

"Your'e dad's looking for you, by the way," Krillin said with a small grin.

"Really? What for?" Usually her father didn't need anything of her during the day; he was working so much.

"I don't know, he just wanted to talk to you," Krillin smiled and walked inside to see Goten. Pan gave him a curious look as he disappeared from behind the door and went off to search for her father to see what he wanted.

"Goten?" Krillin asked as he stepped inside the house. The two Demi-Saiyans looked toward the doorway.

"Oh, hey!" Goten waved and smiled, standing up. Trunks stood up and waved as well. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, nothing," Krillin smiled, "But I was wondering...if you...had any plans today, Goten." His voice sounded mysterious, more so than usual.

Goten tilted his head sideways, "Well, I don't have anything planned, why?"

"I was just wondering if you wanted to...spend some quality time with your future father-in-law," Krillin looked slightly sheepish after saying this.

Trunks smiled in understanding, "I have to go anyway, man," He said fisting Goten in the shoulder. His friend smiled back to him,

"Take care! I'll talk to you later," Goten said.

"You too," Trunks replied, realizing that Krillin needed the time with Goten more than he did, and took off towards home to see what the rest of his family was up to.

Goten watched him fly off into the air, as Krillin gave him an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry if you two had plans--"

"No, we didn't," Goten reassured him. "We were just chatting. Sure, I'd like to hang out with my future father-in-law!" He smiled and elbowed Krillin in the shoulder, and the small earthling smiled deeply. "Where to?"

Krillin raised an eyebrow in a sly manner, "Actually, I know this _one _place..."

"Boy...stand..._STILL_!" Vegeta roared, as Uub dodged another punch from the Super Saiyan.

Uub wanted to wipe the sweat from his forehead so badly, but knew if he wasted the time to do so, he wouldn't be spared from Vegeta's onslaught. Uub was stronger than this, he knew, but he didn't want to go full power yet. And it was killing him to stay this way, as he hardly had time to do anything other than dodge the Super Saiyan's hits.

"This is pathetic," Vegeta growled, "Stand your ground and fight like a man!"

Uub stopped and gave the Saiyan a dark look, "You want me to give you full power?"

Vegeta scoffed, "Well, I believe that's what I was asking to BEGIN WITH!" He yelled, his golden hair brightening for a second.

The dark warrior paused, and glanced towards the computer simulator, "Then set the gravity higher. As high as you can go," This made Uub smirk, "Then we'll fight at our full power against one another."

Vegeta stared at him for a moment, then a sharp grin lit up his features, "What a good idea, boy. The best you've had yet." He moved towards the computer.

"I'm glad you think that," Uub said quietly, as he watched Vegeta input some codes into the computer's drive.

"What level are you best at?" The Saiyan said bluntly.

"Whatever you want," Uub smiled, feeling the energy and need to power up brimming on the surface of his being.

"Are you sure? You'll let _me _decide?" Vegeta eyed him suspiciously.

"Of course," Uub said, gritting his teeth, "It's _you _that wanted to fight _me_."

"Hhmmph," The Saiyan snorted as he entered the codes into the computer system, "Suit yourself, boy."

Pan walked around outside, scanning the area for her father, whom Krillin had told her was out here.

_Why on earth would dad want to talk to me now? _Pan wondered. _Maybe I should just go on to Vegeta's--_

"Pan," The voice rang out from above her, and Pan looked up in awe, as she saw her father land not far from her.

She gaped as he landed onto the ground beside her, "Wha--dad?" She said in a slow drawl.

"Where are you going?" Gohan asked with a slight sterness to his voice. His daughter gave him a slightly turned away look, as if embarrassed.

"Well...I was going to head to Vegeta's...to...you know, train...," Pan's voice cut off and she gave her father a nervous glance, "But if you want me to do something else..."

"Yes, actually," Gohan said with a slightly harsh tone to his voice. "I do."

Pan's eyes widened in shock, "What? You--what---do---you want--"

"You're not going to Vegeta's today," Gohan said, crossing his arms.

Pan couldn't believe her ears, she gave her father a matching look mingled with anger, "What do you mean I'm not going to Vegeta's?"

Gohan looked at her sternly, "You're not going to Vegeta's because--"

Pan's hands clenched into fists of frustration, "IF YOU THINK I'M GOING TO SIT AT HOME AND NOT TRAIN--"

"--you're going to train with me today."

"--THEN YOU'RE OUT OF YOUR--" Pan suddenly stopped and looked at her father in complete and utter surprise, her hands dropping to her sides uselessly. "Wha--what did you say?" She asked with a suddenly softer voice.

The Demi-Saiyan's features softened, and he smiled slightly, "I said you're training with me today."

Pan stared at her father, almost daring to think she was dreaming. She cocked her head to the side and gave her father a puzzled look, "Why are you saying this?"

"Look, Pan," Gohan sighed and scratched his head, "I didn't want to train you before because," He paused and looked away, then finally rest his eyes back to his daughter, "of personal reasons."

"Such as?" Pan said, raising an eyebrow.

"Does it matter now?" Gohan asked, his voice raised a notch, but it quickly fell back to normal, "The point is, I can't have Vegeta start training you until I'm sure that you can handle him."

"And you're going to find that out how--?"

Gohan beamed, "By seeing if you can handle me."

Pan stared at him, her dark eyes scanning his to find that he was being truly serious.

She gave him a small laugh, "Dad...I don't know..."

"What? What don't you know?" Gohan raised a brow.

"If you can handle me," She said with a sly laugh.

Gohan didn't smile back, but simply took off his black framed glasses and laid them on the picnic table next to them. Pan stared at him in awe as he did this, "Fine," he said simply and crouched down in a fighting stance.

Pan looked at him as if seeing him for the first time, "You're really serious about this..."

"Why wouldn't I be?" Gohan said and he sighed slightly with impatience, "Now, are you going to fight me or not?"

Pan, who had never dreamt of her father uttering those words, crouched down in a fighting stance as a large grin spread across her youthful face, "I thought you'd never ask."

Meanwhile, in the training chamber, Vegeta and Uub were several feet from one another, the room vibrating as the gravity chamber rocked from the intense gravity levels. Vegeta slowly liften his arm into the air and punched in the air a few times, testing the gravity out. It was his maximum level, and he knew he'd be hurting after this was over with. Curiously, he glanced toward Uub.

The Siayan had half-expected the boy to be a puddle on the floor, the gravity was so high, but to his surprise, Uub was merely standin, sweat beading on his forehead, and his face in deep concentration, but he was definately erect.

"Boy...," Vegeta said with a slight strain to his voice, "Is...this...good enough...for you?"

The dark warrior lifted his head up and to the Saiyan's utmost shock and surprise, he smiled a vicious grin,

"It's perfect," He said with perfect articulation, his voice steady and calm.

Vegeta stared at him. "What--"

Before he could even begin his sentence, Uub powered up before the Saiyan, his arms bent at the elbows and drawing in power to him. The prince watched as Uub's forearms grew larger by the second, until they were every bit as muscular as Vegeta's Super Saiyan biceps. The Saiyan's jaw dropped slightly. The warrior now looked completely different, stronger, muscular, with a flare in his eyes that was not only hungry, but also frightening. Vegeta had never not seen such a vicious look of a warrior since--

_Since I was his age, _his mind finished the thought.

Uub, now at full power, lunged towards Vegeta, who got out of the way; though it took more effort than Vegeta thought it should have. Uub swung his arm around and nearly slammed Vegeta in the forehead, but the prince had dodge it in time. Uub spun around and started a barrage of punches towards the Saiyan Prince, who blocked them, but with extra force applied.

_I don't believe this, _Vegeta thought in amazement_, His Ki's risen even higher with the gravity levels! How can this be?_

"Well," Uub said with a mocking grin on his face, "Who's the one that won't fight like a man now?"

The blood boiled in Vegeta's veins at the boy's words, and his glowing golden hair spiked more than it had before, and for a moment, the smile faltered on Uub's face. The Saiyan felt the energy and rage flow through him as he went into Super Saiyan 2. Uub felt a tinge of regret fester inside him; he'd made the Saiyan madder than he really should have.

_"RAAARRRRGHHH!!!" _Vegeta slammed his fist against Uub's head faster than the boy could react to and Uub went flying into the wall, his head bouncing against the metal surface. Uub yelled in pain, as his body fell to the ground. Vegeta, now a Super Saiyan 2, walked slowly towards the boy, his golden hair spiked straight as a needle.

"Uh...Rrrg...," Uub grunted, trying to get up, as the prince walked slowly towards him, a very satisfied smirk on his face.

Vegeta stood right above Uub, as he struggled to his feet, and let out a harsh laugh that was intensified by the large gravity settings,

"Well, boy, are you happy now?" He smiled wickedly as he watched Uub slowly rise off the ground, "You are a lucky warrior; you get to witness the Prince of the Saiyans in his prime form...not many have seen," He added with a boastful jest.

Uub didn't reply at first, but rose to his feet and slowly dusted off his shoulder. He gave Vegeta a sly look.

"Oh, I'm honored," He said with a slight groan as he stretched his back.

Vegeta threw a fist forward to slam the boys face against he wall, but this time, Uub was ready for him, and caught his fist in midair, a few inches shy of his face. The Saiyan watched in utter dumbfoundness as Uub slowly brought the fist down from his face.

"Wha--what--" Vegeta stammered, his bravado failing him for a fleeting moment.

"And now," Uub smiled and threw Vegeta's arm back, nearly dislocating it. The prince let out a gasp of surprise and drew away before another episode like that of his battle with 18 could occur. He still remembered the pain in his arm the moment she'd broken it in their battle during the Cell games. it was not a feeling he was fond of to say the least.

Vegeta jumped back as Uub assaulted him with a barrage of kicks. Each one the prince dodged with ease, but that was not what scared him. The boy wasn't as strong as he was, he knew that. However, he also saw that this warrior was relentless, an emotionless fighter with wit and slyness in him that made him quite a thorn in his side. Vegeta smirked, he knew this style of fighting, this raw intensity...he knew it all to well. It was as he had been as a younger Saiyan prince.

Pan swept past Gohan and landed on the other side of him, her feet forward in the air as if to kick him. But the Demi-Saiyan leaped into the air, dodged the girl's attack and instead caught her arms in a lock and held her beside him.

"Errgh..Dad!" Pan whined, trying to break free of her father's grip.

"Quit, you weren't thinking, Pan," Gohan said sternly.

Pan looked up at her father with a grim expression on her face, "I was too."

"No, if you'd been thinking, you would not have tried to kick me...that was pointless."

"Dad, why didn't you just knock me down then?" Pan said in an exasperated voice.

"What?" Gohan blinked, and his grip on her slackened, allowing Pan to break free and go to the ground.

"I mean, my enemies aren't going to hold back," Pan said with a frown, "They're going to attack me, not put me in an arm lock."

Gohan gave his daughter a stern look, "So what would you have me do then?" He said crossing his arms.

"Don't hold back," Pan said sternly, crossing her own arms, "Vegeta wouldn't hold back."

These words hit Gohan like a shot to the chest. "Oh he wouldn't?" Gohan asked, but he knew the question was rhetorical.

"No," Pan repeated, her face solemn, "He wouldn't."

"Fine," Gohan didn't want to hurt his child, but he saw his daughter was not going to have it any other way. "If you think you can handle it."

"Please," And to this Pan laughed, because she didn't consider her father that threatening. "I think I can."

The crystal blue waters shone like diamonds against the coast. Krillin and Goten landed on the edge of the beach, the sunlight shining on the waters and a faint breeze filtering through the trees. Goten sighed and smiled, as Krillin walked towards the waters' edge.

"Ahh," The diminuitive earthling smiled, "This is much better. This was Goku's favorite spot to relax," He smiled reminescently, remembering the Cell games, when he and Goku had rest under this very spot.

"Really?" Goten felt familiar in this place, but at the same time, very alien. It was a weird sensation inside him.

"Oh yeah," Krillin said, not noticing this peculiar look on Goten's face as he looked around him in awe, "Me and your dad...wow..."

"What?" Goten asked curiously.

"Well, we go way back," Krillin smiled. "Kind of funny that you're marrying my daughter."

"How so?" Goten sat beside the earthling and leaned back against the grass.

"You're Goku's son and you're marrying my daughter," Krillin grinned. "I think it's funny, because we're best buds..and now related best buds..." His voice trailed off, but the happiness that swelled in it was unmistakable.

"Yeah, that is neat," Goten nodded, understanding what he meant. He sat up in his place and looked out over the ocean.

"You know," Krillin smiled slyly and looked toward Goten, "That also means that you're child," His voice quickly became more mature, "Should you have one," He glanced slightly towards Goten, who was looking nervously at him, "Would be mine and Goku's grandchild!"

"It would be," Goten replied, but there was a hint of pink in his cheeks as he said this.

Krillin chuckled, "Sorry, son...didn't mean to fluster you. Goku was never...uhm...lady savvy either, to tell you the truth," He grinned, "Guess you didn't inherit that though."

"Why do you say that?" Goten asked curiously.

"Because you asked a girl to marry you on your own," Krillin said serenely, and then his face split into a smile. "Goku thought that marriage was a type of food!"

Goten burst into laughter, and Krillin followed suit shortly after. It was a reminescent laugh, the laughter that brought stinging tears of joy to one's face, and the kind that didn't want to stop for minutes on end.

Trunks landed on the edge of his family's lawn, near the back door, when he felt two familiar Ki's emitting from the gravity chamber. One of his father's, the easiest to recognize, but the other was stronger than his own, and was closer to Vegeta's than Trunks imagined the Saiyan could even know himself. What amazed him was that the Ki was Uub's.

_How can that be? _The Demi-Saiyan wondered as he stumbled towards the gravity chamber. _Has he been hiding his Ki this entire time?_

Trunks edged toward the training chamber, but a voice halted him in his tracks.

"I wouldn't go in there if I was you," It was his sister's voice that brought him to a stand-still.

"Bra?" Trunks spun around, surprised. "I didn't notice you there."

The woman at the doorway crossed her arms in an annoyed manner, and swatted a strand of blue hair from her eyes.

"Of course you didn't," She said matter-of-factly, "That's because you were too entranced by all of that," She pointed to the chamber.

"Well...yes, it's interesting," Trunks muttered, wondering if she understood anything about Ki to begin with. "Is it Uub and father in there?"

"Yeah, the two have been going at it for a while," Bra said, drawing her dark navy shawl tighter around her shoulders, "The whole gravity chamber's been shaking."

"Hummph," Trunks said in a small grunt, heading towards it, "I guess I could go see--"

"I wouldn't," Bra insisted, her eyes narrowing, "Didn't I already say that?"

"Why shouldn't I?" Trunks asked at once.

"Because," Bra rolled her eyes, "Father wants to fight Uub...what good will it do _you _to go in there?" Her eyes became slightly curious, "Are you afraid Uub's going to get hurt?"

"What?" Trunks retorted, "Of course not...quite the opposite," he said, but it was more of a mutter than anything.

Bra smiled a twisted smirk, "Oh..I see...well then, just sit and wait on them...they're big boys," She said motioning him to sit on the steps with her, "They can handle themselves."

"I just worry they're going to kill each other," Trunks mumbled out of the corner of his mouth as he sat down next to his sister.

"You should give them more credit than that," Bra smiled, "Uub won't kill father, because he's not like that. And daddy won't kill Uub because...because...," her voice faltered a moment as she looked towards her brother, who looked at her with a serious smile. She scoffed at him in disbelief, "Because daddy knows I love him and that we're getting married!"

Trunks blinked repeatedly in disbelief, "What? What did you say?" Surely his ears had heard wrong.

Bra suddenly realized she hadn't told her brother the news. Her face turned crimson as she looked away, "Uub asked me to marry him." She said quietly.

Trunks wanted to scream and yell and rant about how wrong it was at that moment, but something in his heart wouldn't let him. He merely sighed and laid his head in one of his hands, "And I take it you said yes," He sighed, realizing there was no point in argueing about it.

Bra nodded, glad he wasn't being fussy about this, "Of course."

Trunks sighed, but had to smiled despite the fact...he hadn't seen this coming, "I should have known..." He smiled faintly.

"Known what?" Bra's hands were on her hips.

"That you'd want to get married as soon as you found out Marron was," Trunks smiled.

Bra gave him a congenial smile, "I won't deny that claim...but I won't say yes to it either," She gave him a sly grin.

Trunks turned away, but was smiling as he did, "Doesn't matter...that's all I needed to know."

"_Faster_!" Gohan coached, as he threw a series of kicks towards Pan, to which she was dodging, but not at the speed that Gohan would have considered satisfactory. He gave her a stern look and landed a kick on the outside of her left arm, which knocked her aside, but she didn't fall down. Gohan watched her intently, as she brushed off the dirt on her arm.

She'd never seen her father like this. So...intense...it reminded her of Piccolo, the Namek her father had talked about so much, but she'd seen so rarely. She flustered at his words however, and made a pouty face, "I am going fast!"

"Not fast enough," Gohan countered, shifting his weight in his step, "I was much faster than that at your age," He smiled grimly, trying to keep the image of Cell from his mind. _Had it truly been that long ago?_

"Fooey," Pan snorted, "You're a guy."

"So?" Gohan cocked his head to the side.

"_So_? Dont' play dumb," Pan frowned, "All you guys are the same. _Women have no power when it comes to martial arts!" _She said in a mock voice, that surprised Gohan.

"Who's told you that?" He asked with wonder in his voice.

"No one _says _it," Pan's frown deepened, "But it's obvious."

"I don't think so," Gohan retorted, "Your mother and grandmother were both fighters, and so was 18."

"A rare thing," Pan said and crouched back into her fighting stance.

"But not a bad thing," Gohan smiled, "I wish more women had your spunk and enthusiasm towards fighting."

Pan scoffed at him, then smiled slyly, "You're not the only one who thinks that, I'm sure."

Vegeta and Uub locked their knees in the gravity chamber, each warrior's face beading with sweat, a tense and focused look on their tight faces. Their legs trembled against each other, as the shock of the hit sent waves of energy beating against the chamber walls. The Saiyan Prince gave the boy a gritted toothed grin,

"You're not that weak...boy..."

To Uub, this was a high complement. He'd never heard Vegeta say anything in that manner before; of course, it was no time to be a braggart either.

"Thank---you---you're not so bad...yourself," He grinned despite the pain rising in his knee.

"Heh," Vegeta grinned, "This is nothing."

"What do you mean," Uub asked curiously, his knee starting to throb.

"If I wanted to," And this time Vegeta's eyes flared, "I would go another level further than this," His eyes motioned to his present Super Saiyan state. Uub's eyes gave him a skeptical glance,

"Then why haven't you?"

Vegeta's grin became evil in an instant. "Because I really don't want to kill you," He said maliciously in a low whisper.

Uub's face turned ten times paler, and he realized that at full power, he was still not close to Vegeta's strength.

The prince snickered at the paleness of the boy's face. "So...I see that got to you," He said with a triumphant grin.

"Just--just a little," Uub managed. "Why don't you kill me, if you're so sure," He managed to choke out, then realized he probably shouldn't have said anything else.

But the Saiyan merely smirked, "That child of mine has some feeling, probably pity, for you...how can I kill you now?"

Uub let out a sigh of relief in his head, "Oh, I see."

"Do you?" Vegeta's smirk turned to a frown as he suddenly lowered his leg, and drop kicked Uub right in the stomach. The dark warrior had no time to react other than grab his stomach in pain as Vegeta slammed him in the face with his right fist, sending the boy flying into the wall. His body smacked the metal with a loud crunch, as his limp body fell to the floor of the chamber with a satisfying crash.

The Saiyan Prince expected the boy to get up, but realized he was more exhausted than he imagined, because Uub tried to pick himself up, and ended up slumping to the ground helplessly.

"You...," Uub gasped, clutching his side, "You haven't won..yet..."

"Yes I have," Vegeta said, placing a foot on the boy's shoulder. "If I wanted to, I could knock you out cold right at this second."

Uub realized this was true. His fist clenching in defeat, he banged them on the metal flooring, ashamed that he'd lost the match so soon.

"Don't take it too personal," Vegeta said with a casual smirk, typical of the braggart side of him, "There's always time for a rematch."

"I'm really glad we get to spend this quality time," Krillin chuckled, "Future father-in-law and son-in-law."

"Yeah," Goten sighed, then gave Krillin a curious glance, "You trained with Master Roshi, right?"

"Mmm-hmmm," Krillin said with a nod, "Why?"

"Well, I was thinking of training with him," Goten said slowly, "After Marron and I were married."

"Are you?" This surprised the earthling. "How come?"

"I'm not sure...I guess it's because of dad," Goten smiled, "He was such a great warrior, and a great man, I guess I want to be like him in that respect."

Krillin nodded, but his face faltered for a moment, "Just don't be _too _like him...Goku was my best friend, but he did do some crazy things now and then...I'm not sure Chi Chi's forgiven him for all the times he randomly left her and Gohan," His grim smile connected with Goten, and the Demi-Saiyan's eyes grew wide.

"Oh, no, _no_," He waved his hands in front of him, "I would _never _leave Marron to train! I just want to be stronger...to protect her, that's all."

Krillin's face brightened, "Are you serious?"

"Well, yeah," Goten's face reddened.

"Ah, well," Krillin's attitude seemed a lot more positive, "If it's to protect my litle girl," He grinned, "I'll tell you all you need to know," And he went into a large speal about Roshi's training on him and Goku, the martial arts tournament, the adventures they'd shared, and all the oddities that needed to be known about the perverted martial arts master.

Their punches connected and the two were like one force, unionized and at the same time against one another, their flying kicks a flury against one another. Gohan dodged a left kick from Pan, while she countered a right hook from her father. The two bore grim expressions, but in their minds, each was impressed with the other.

"That's better," Gohan replied, as Pan sent out a kick that nearly connected with his forehead.

Pan didn't reply, but kept trying to pull off a move to send her father flying; to prove she wasn't just a little girl who needed protection. Because, she knew that despite her father's efforts, in his eyes that's exactly what she was: a little girl. Nothing more.

Feeling the energy flow from her fingertips to her feet, she forced the energy to stay at her toes, and connected a hit into Gohan's chest, sending the Demi-Saiyan back a few steps. Gohan let out a small gasp for air, as Pan gave her father a satisfied look.

"G--good," He said with a small wheeze, "Much better."

"Was it?" Pan asked, her eyebrows sunked in a pensive expression, "Or are you just saying that?"

"No, no, it was a good hit," Gohan reassured her, clutching his side, "You have a lot of Chi, if you just build it up and use it."

Pan smiled, "Grandpa told me that once."

Gohan smiled back, "He knew what he was saying then."

At these words, Pan's chest swelled with a small amount of pride, her eyes full of fire and hungry for more action. But Gohan's face showed a little more of his age than he was used to, and he could tell that he needed to start training again if he was going to be able to handle her energy.

"I think...," Gohan stammered, "That you can handle Vegeta now."

Pan laughed, "Tired, dad?"

"A little," He smiled, "I may have to train with you."

"I'm not sure Vegeta would like that," Pan said with a smirk, "He's not too fond of you, you know."

"I do," Gohan nodded, "Just tell me this," He added, a curious look on his face, "Why do you fight?"

Pan's face fell. She hadn't expected this. "Well...I'm not sure," She said honestly.

"What does your heart and mind say?" Gohan urged her.

Pan thought about this for a moment, "I guess its saying that I fight to improve myself...to prove that I can be strong and be a girl," Pan replied.

Her father smiled deeply, "That's the answer I was looking for."

"Why's it so important?" Pan asked.

"Because Vegeta wouldn't answer the way you did," Gohan replied, "He would say for the sport of it, or to puff up his pride. That answer was one your grandfather would have gave." His face turned stern for a moment, as he rested a hand on his daughter's shoulder, "Whatever he teaches you, remember why you fight and the answer you've gave me today."

"Of course," Pan couldn't really see the reason behind all this.

"And never forget that reason, okay?"

"Of course," Pan repeated, not truly seeing where this was going, but also not wanting to disappoint her father.

"Good," Then Gohan did something that he rarely did to her anymore; he hugged her. Pan held his embrace for a moment, unsure of what to do, then as he let go of her, she saw from the back of her eyes, a hand flying towards her. She quickly turned around and caught the hand in midair. It had been Gohan's. Pan smiled, as her father lowered his arm.

"Trying to surprise me?" Pan laughed, "Or catch me off guard?"

"Both," Gohan smiled, "But the hug was sincere," He said with a shrug.

"I know," Pan said giving him a small embrace back. "I know."

Trunks stood up and stretched his legs, after sensing that the fighting in the chamber had ceased.

"What are you doing?" Bra asked sternly, glancing at her brother.

"They're done in there," He said nonchalantly.

Bra gave him a highly skeptical stare, "And you know this how?"

"Their Ki's aren't as high as they were," Trunks said, staring at the chamber, "That, and the chamber isn't shaking. See?" He motioned towards the gravity chamber, that wasn't rocking back and forth as it had been. Bra's eyes widened.

"What does that mean?" She asked, and Trunks could tell the hint of fear in her voice.

"That they're done fighting, probably," He replied, then gave her a curious grin, "What, are you afraid of something?"

Bra snapped her head up at him with an angry glare, "I didn't say that!" She retorted.

Just as she said this, the door to the training chamber slid open and both Trunks and Bra's eyes diverted straight to the doorway. From within the chamber, Vegeta stepped out, his hair back to normal black, and his face covered in rough scratches. He had one arm stretched over Uub, whom he was helping walk out of the chamber. The dark warrior looked beaten up fairly well. Bra ran to them, as Trunks followed cautiously behind her.

"Daddy! Are you two--"

"We're fine, and so is your future husband," He said bluntly, and both Bra and Trunks were amazed that he acknowledged this. Bra looked at Uub with concern, but Vegeta gave her a stern look, "He's fine. He can handle more than this."

"Father--?" Trunks gave his dad a curious look. He'd never heard such things from Vegeta.

"Son, get me two sensu beans as soon as you can manage, and tell that wife of mine to make us some food."

Trunks nodded, "Of course--"

"NOW!" Vegeta roared, and Trunks disappeared without a sound into the house. Bra took Uub from Vegeta's arm and cradles him in an embrace. The Saiyan Prince watched her and realized the boy had been right all along. She would not have taken such concern to anyone else. "I suppose," He said, and his daughter turned to him, "That he's worthy of taking care of you."

Bra's face lit up, and she caressed the hair on top of Uub's head. "Thanks, daddy," Was the only words she could think to say. The prince smirked, glad she had at least found someone worthy of her. He had began to have his doubts.

"Now," He sighed as he walked towards the house, "If only that damn son of mine would find a worthy person on this pathetic rock...," His voice trailed off as he went into the house, leaving Bra and Uub to follow behind him, Bra's arms wrapped around her fiance to support him as she carried him inside.

Marron sat by the window of the kitchen, looking out into the setting sun that illuminated the sky, the clouds turning dark blue against the purple red evening view. She sighed as her mother came towards her, a cup of hot tea in her hands. She gave her daughter a small look of concern,

"Anything wrong?" The Android asked mildly.

"No," She sighed, looking back towards the window, "Goten and dad have been out so long..."

"They're just sharing some time together," 18 said after a sip of her tea. "Don't worry so much."

"I'm not worried," Marron said with an exasperating sigh.

"You just miss him?" 18 smiled.

"This week I was by him all the time," Marron said distantly. "And now I'm crumbling after being away from him for not even one day," She sighed, "How pathetic."

"It's not pathetic," 18 said with an understanding look, "But don't get used to him being with you all the time. He has an agenda too," She gave her daughter a warmer smile, "You're so eager to get married aren't you?"

Marron allowed a smile to spread across her face, "You have no idea."

"Don't worry," 18 gave her a gently pat on the shoulder, "It'll come sooner than you think."

The blonde looked back as her mother turned back towards the kitchen, sipping her tea, and she knew that her mother was right. She shouldn't worry about Goten, or worry about how far away the wedding seemed. Things would come into place, and she knew they would come together sooner than she thought.

_**And that was the chapter! LOL, I know, it's quite different from anything I've ever done...being that a large part of it was fighting...how'd I do? I've never wrote so much action in one chapter..i'm not sure how it turned out...**_

_**Hopefully good!**_

_**Anyway, next chapter isn't the wedding, but we're realllyyy close! As the big day draw's closer, people from all around start showing up for the occasion, and new faces are introduced, and Trunks ends up on a date! Hmmm...we'll have to see what happens there! LOL**_

_**Thanks so much for all the support, everyone! You all ROCK SO MUCH and you have no idea how much I appreciate every single one of you! Thanks for the suggestions, they've been a tremendous help too! I'm going out of town this weekend, so I won't be able to start on the next chapter until I get back, so I hope this one satisfies you until then! Take care and peace out! Oh, and don't forget to ROCK ROCK ON! **_

_**Romania Black**_


	33. Water Under The Bridge

The Taming of the Saiyan

By Romania Black

**_Well, school has been HECTIC! I've been gone the last two weekends, and with all the schoolwork I have right now, finding time to write has been hard! I hope that you're not too mad with me! I've tried to get as much done as I can with the time I have...but it hasn't been easy! Hopefully this'll make up for it! heh, Chapter 33!!! WOOT!!!! IT didn't turn out how I'd planned it to at all..but I guess that's okay! heh heh..._**

_**I also hope you all have a fantastic and safe Thanksgiving! Much Love to all of you!!!**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own anything of Akira Toriyama! But if he wants to use any of my ideas...GO FOR IT!!! **_

_**Story Rated T for TEEN due to mild violence, brief language, mild sexual themes, and alcohol reference/consumption...**_

_**Reviews:**_

**_Witch of Erie Knoll: Okay! Hands Witch some talent YAY! I get Trunks!!! AND RUM!!! Double Yay! -Trunks gives me weirded out look 0o- Ha ha ha, thankies! I'm glad you think my action scenes don't suck! Yippee! LOL, I'll have to add you sometime when I get the chance! lol, I think I can guess it! ha ha ha, thanks so much for the review! Enjoy the chapter!_**

**_Sinful Sakura: LOL, I'm glad you liked the action-packedness...I may have to do some more action stories! LOL, I know! I remember seeing that episode...I was happy for DBZ to finally have a kick ass girl character, but it did upset me when his arm was broke! -- Oh, and Trunks' date is a little out there...not sure if it'll last at all...but who knows! Oh and you're a T/P fan! YAY! Glad someone is! I'm leaning towards that...but who knows! With the new character introduced in this chapter...you never know! bwahahaha! Thanks for the review and enjoy the story!_**

**_Kumori Ookami: ha ha ha, don't worry! Hyperness is a good thing! LOL, trust me! Thanks for the review! I'm glad everyone's likin' the action so far! Oh yes, the wedding will be FUN to write! LOL, and I can't wait either! I have so many ideas for their kids...ahem if they have them, I don't know where to start!!!! You'll find out Trunks' date in this chapter too! LOL, hope you like it! Enjoy the story!_**

_**A special thanks to all who has reviewed this story since its start and who has contributed their input on how they like (or dislike) the story...all the feedback has been SOOOO helpful, and I look forward to your comments every day...they really push this story along! I'd also like to thank BillyTalentPhuckingRocks! for the PM's from him too...it's been a good chat so far, and you've gave me some cool ideas too! thanks! To all of you, thanks for the support, I LUV ALL OF YA!!!! I really do! Take care, and Rock rock on! But more importantly,**_

_**Enjoy the Story!**_

_**Romania Black**_

Chapter Thirty-Three: Water Under The Bridge

The rest of the month seemed to pass like the days of June, fresh and sweet and full of life, but they went quickly without a lot of major events. That is, unless you count everyone finding out about Bra and Uub's engagement...that was quite an event.

"_ISN'T IT WONDERFUL_?" Bulma squealed as she bounded excitedly around the living room, shortly after telling her guests the good news.

Vegeta had coincidently lurked out of sight just before she'd announced the engagement. Bra and Uub had also opted to go and get groceries for Bulma while she spread the news. Trunks, on the other hand, hadn't seemed to have found anything to do at that moment, and was forced to sit on the couch and watch the event. Luckily, Goten and Marron sat beside him, to keep him company.

"Wow," Krillin replied, his head resting on his palm. "How odd..."

18 gave him a sly look out of the corner of her eye, "Any odder than us when you proposed?"

Krillin snickered as he thought about this, "I guess not."

"That's great news," Videl chimed in with a smile, "Where are the couple?"

"And where's Vegeta?" Gohan asked with an eager face, looking around to try and spot the Saiyan.

Bulma's smile faded significantly, "Oh, Vegeta's being stubborn and ran off to train," Then her smile flickered back, "And Bra and Uub ran off to get groceries."

"Oh," Gohan said with a small Goku-ish smile, "I see." He had to admit he was curious to see what Vegeta's reaction had been.

Almost as if he'd read Gohan's mind, Krillin chimed in, "How did old Vegeta take the whole thing, Bulma?"

Bulma smiled, "He'd rather not have me tell anyone, but he took it rather well." Everyone looked surprised by this comment.

Goten leaned over towards Trunks' shoulder, "You mean he didn't kill Uub right off the bat?" He asked with a curious smirk.

Trunks face hardened a moment, as his eyes connected with Goten's in a serious manner, "I think Uub gave dad a run for his money," He whispered, as he watched Goten's mouth fall open. "He's almost as strong as him."

"You're kidding--_aren't _you?" He asked with a slight quiver in his voice. Trunks shook his head. Goten swallowed somwhat loudly.

"What are you two talking about?" Marron's voice cut in and the two Demi-Saiyans immediately straightened in their seats.

"N--nothing, Marron," Goten tried to smile innocently and waved his hands in a gesture that said nothing was wrong.

The blonde gave him a disapproving frown, as Pan bounced over towards them, her black hair swishing as she bounded onto the couch beside Marron, "This is great! Two weddings at once!" Pan said excitedly.

Goten gave her a smile, relieved she had changed the subject, "You bet it is," He really didn't want to discuss fighting around Marron. He didn't feel comfortable with it for some reason.

"Trunks, are you going to be the best man for that wedding too?" Pan asked with an eager grin.

The Demi-Saiyan folded his arms to his chest and frowned, "I don't know," He said with a slightly gloomy voice as Bulma came towards the couch, her face bearing a somewhat unnapproving look.

"Everyone else has gathered to the kitchen, where lunch is," She said with a small smile, and the group on the couch noticed that she was right, the room was empty except them.

"We'll head that way, right Goten?" Marron said with a grin towards her fiance. Goten nodded and stood up with her.

Pan smiled wide as she turned to Bulma, "Did you fix twice baked rice with eggdrop dip?" She asked with a hungry gleam in her dark eyes.

Bulma forced a grin, "Of course."

"Alright! Come on guys! Goten, I'll beat you there!" She tapped Goten's shoulder and raced to the kitchen. Goten followed suit closely behind herm, as Marron shook her head slightly embarrassed and follwed them slowly. Trunks got up from the couch as Bulma grasped his shoulder and stopped him in his tracks.

Trunks struggled against the grip at first, "Mom--what are you doing?"

"Trunks, we have to talk," She said with a steady voice.

"Can it wait until after we eat?" Trunks said with an annoyed sigh_. Go figure...she'd have to do this now..._

"Trunks this is important--"

"Then can it wait?" Trunks sighed again, "I'm hungry," He stated in a very stubborn, Vegeta-like tone.

Bulma drew away and gave him an impatient, but compliant look. "Fine."

"I wonder if they're eating yet," Uub said with slight impatience as he followed Bra down the pasta aisle of the FOOD CENTRE. He hated shopping for clothes, but this food shopping was ridiculous.

"Hmmm," Bra said with a smirk as she placed a box of maccaroni into the shopping cart, acting as if she hadn't heard him. Uub followed close behind her, his hand on her back as if to hold her up. Bra smiled at the gesture, "We're almost out of items on the list."

"It's after noon," Uub said serenely, trying to strike up the topic again, "They probably are."

"We could go back and join everyone," Bra said, but the tone of her voice suggested she didn't prefer it.

Uub stared at her and then gave her a look that suggested curiousity at any other option, "Or we could--?"

"I don't know," Bra replied with a smirk, "But if we don't think of something soon, I'm going to run out of groceries to get..."

"And that's a bad thing?" Uub said peering into the stuffed cart of mostly nonessentials.

"Well...it'll look stupid driving around a cart and not putting anything in it," Bra replied with a furrowed brow.

Uub raised his eyebrows in surprise, "Bra, you've been putting random things in that cart the last thirty minutes!"

"What?" Bra's eyes lit up, "No I have not!"

Uub peered over her shoulder and looked at the list in her hand, "I don't see maccaroni on that list," He said with a small smirk.

Bra's cheeks flushed slightly, "Well...mom _meant _to put it on here!"

"Did she also mean to put ice cream, bagels, tea bags, rice patties, eighteen different types of cereal, lobster, roast ham, lettuce chunks, and happy dappy frozen pops on there too?" Uub said with a very sly grin, peering into the almost overflowing cart.

Bra turned her head slowly around to stare Uub in the face, and he saw her cheeks were crimson, "YES, UUB, She did!"

Uub didn't laugh, but pulled off the most serious face he could, "Oh...just checking." He turned his eyes toward the contents of the cart, "I mean who couldn't live without bagels, lobster, and lettuce chunks--"

"Fine," Bra said with a sneer, turning towards the checkout with a slightly flustered look on her face, "Have it your way. We're going back home to eat with everyone."

A red hover car swept past the streets of the city in a hurried fashion, its cherry color gleaming in the sun. It was an outdated Capsule Corp flying vehicle, but it had been kept in mint shape and condition, so it looked new enough.

From within the hover car, two figures sat side by side. One was a woman who looked in her forties, the other that was driving appeared to be in his mid-teens. The boy driver brushed a few strands of his blue-teal hair from his eyes and gave his mother a mild glance.

"What makes you think he'll be here?" The boy asked with a voice that suggested he was just in mid-puberty, because his voice had a high pitch to it when he finished questions, but a deep quality was starting to break through the words.

The woman smiled, and her laugh lines on her face showed, "I'm not sure, but I can feel something...I think it's him."

The boy gave her a skeptical stare, "You _think _it's him?" He sighed and smiled, "Sometimes it amazes me how you convince me to come out here with you..."

The woman smiled, but made no reply as the red hover car sped along the street faster, heading out of town.

"You know," Videl said with mingled curiousity as she passed the bowl of rice to Chi Chi, "How long has it been since the entire group had a meal together?"

"Too long," Chi Chi said with a small frown as she dumped some rice onto her plate.

"Yeah, but the whole group isn't here," Krillin said with a hint of sadness.

"Tien's in the mountains still, isn't he?" Gohan asked curiously.

"The last I heard he was," Krillin replied, pouring gravy on his mashed potatoes. "Him and Chaozu..."

"And Lunch," 18 said, eyeing Krillin over her plate.

"Lunch is with them too?" Gohan's eyes widened.

"She went there after Roshi left...on his vacation," The last part of her sentence had a venomous bite to it. Krillin swallowed his food loudly, but made no attempt to look at his wife as she said this.

"Oh, how sweet," Videl said after taking a drink.

"I figured those two would end up together at some point," Bulma said nonchalantly.

"What about Yamcha?" Gohan asked over his food, "Where'd he and Puar slip off to?"

"Who knows," Krillin shook his head, "I haven't heard from those two in forever...I think Oolong went out to find them some time ago."

"Hopefully they'll show up for the wedding," Videl said encouragingly, looking towards Marron and Goten.

"Maybe," Krillin shrugged.

At that moment, a sweaty and battle-ridden Vegeta stumbled into the kitchen, his face showing a clear line of hatred. Bulma smirked over her glass of tea; it was obvious he hadn't expected them to still be here.

"Oh, there you are," She said with a playful grin, as all eyes at the table turned to spot Vegeta at the doorway. The Saiyan prince sneered; he hated their obnoxious staring.

"Hey," Gohan said with a half-smile, to which the Saiyan shot down in a heartbeat.

"'Bout time you got here," Bulma smiled and offered him a seat beside her, "Come over here and eat."

Vegeta looked at her as if she was suggesting he remove his own internal organs from his body, "I'm not hungry at the moment woman!" But at those words a loud, low growl escaped from his stomach. Bulma snickered,

"Oh really? I think your stomach thinks otherwise," She smiled and patted the bottom of the seat.

"I am not walking around everyone to get over there," Vegeta frowned, seeing that he'd have to go around Gohan, Chi Chi, Goten, and Marron just to get to the seat Bulma had provided. He didn't even want to look at them, much less walk past them.

Pan swallowed her food and made a motion to Vegeta with slight timidness, "You can sit in my seat and I'll move over by Bulma."

The Saiyan was slightly taken aback by this remark. He'd just noticed the girl was even sitting there. He gave her a stern glance, but realized she was offering him a very good deal, so he decided to take it.

"_Fine_," He said with a hateful tone, "Move over." She hurried and got out of the seat as Vegeta sat in it, in between Krillin and his son. He didn't care for the annoying diminuitive earthling, but it beat sitting next to that foul wife of Kakarrot.

Pan hurried over to the seat by Bulma, who allowed her to take it with a surprised and at the same time angry look. _Why is she sucking up to Vegeta?_

As the group continued eating, it didn't take the prince long to realize how he could not have noticed Pan before. She was scarfing down her food almost as fast as her grandfather would have. _Hmph...at least one Saiyan trait has lasted all the breeding with the humans..., _Vegeta thought with a small frown.

As he thought this, the door swang open and all eyes fell on the new arrivals, Bra and Uub.

Almost instantaneously, and to Vegeta's great unhappiness, the room was lit up in an uproar of cheers from the table, except for Marron and Goten, who looked slightly flustered at the couple. Vegeta decided not to look into it. Trunks had a keen look on his face, but he forced a smile and cheered as well. Pan waved her arms in the air to cheer for them, a bit of gravy on her chin, which Bulma had to turn herself away from.

Bra placed a hand on her hip as Uub unloaded many bags of groceries onto the kitchen counter. Her face was lit up with amusement,

"Well well, I suppose mother's told all of you already?" She said with a smirk, paying no attention to Goten and Marron's stares.

"Congratulations," Videl said with an approving smile. Gohan nodded.

Krillin shook his head, "Had to go with a fighter, didn't you?"

Vegeta eyed the earthling maliciously, but Bra just grinned,

"You know me," She said with a boastful sigh, seeing Goten's cheeks turn slightly red out of the corner of her eye, which gave her a bit of glee.

Uub sighed as he unloaded the last bag of groceries and joined Bra's side. Gohan smiled at the warrior,

"We're all proud of you two," He said firmly.

"Both couples," Chi Chi said, as if to remind everyone there was two weddings going to take place. Marron had never felt more grateful to have Chi Chi as a mother-in-law.

"True, true," Bulma said, motioning her daughter to the table. "Take a seat, you two. We'll pull up some chairs."

"You can have mine," Pan offered, standing up. "I'm finished anyway."

Bulma gave the girl a stare, "Are you sure?"

"Yeah," Pan nodded and turned to Vegeta. "When you're done eating...do you want to start?"

The Saiyan almost choked on his food.

"W--what?" He said with a raised eyebrow.

"I didn't know if you were ready to start training today," Pan said, her eyes glancing for a moment to her father, who gave her an approving look.

The Saiyan finally showed some form of satisfaction at the day, as a gleam entered his eye, and a cocky smirk appeared on his face.

"Well, I was wondering if you were ever going to ask that," He said with a stubborn grin, standing up to leave the table. He turned towards Uub, "Take my seat, boy," He said with a firm stare, to which Uub nodded curtly.

Bulma sighed with annoyance, "Aren't you going to stay and chat with your daughter?"

"She's my daughter, woman," Vegeta said with an angry stare, "I see her everyday!"

Bulma's face tightened, "Well, what about Gohan and the others? Do you see them everyday?"

There was a moment of silence, as a small vein popped on Vegeta's forehead, his eyes fiery. Pan slowly slid past everyone and quickly headed out the door. The Saiyan slowly glanced at Gohan, Goten, Krillin, and the others and then turned back to his wife and said in a slow voice,

"_No_, fortunately I _don't_," He said, his teeth gritting and his face trying to remain in control of himself. Without another word, he left the kitchen and slammed the door behind him.

Bulma stared wide-eyed at the spot where he'd stood and her face blushed. "I'm so sorry, everyone...I can't believe he said--"

"It's okay, Bulma, geez," Krillin smiled, "I was amazed. He's usually so much more cruel than that."

"No kidding," Gohan chuckled, "I expected him to destroy something!" He eyed Trunks suspiciously, "You're old man going soft on us?"

Trunks laughed lightly, "I wish."

Vegeta pulled his white boots on over his navy blue training suit, as he watched Pan out of the corner of his eye. She was leaning up against the tree, adjusting her pink t-shirt that bore the numbers 34 on it and above that the word PAN in bold burgundy letters. It was obvious she wanted to say something, but was fighting the urge to.

"Out with it," The Saiyan sighed angrily.

Pan looked up suddenly, "What?"

"You heard me perfectly," The Saiyan growled, "Out with it. You want to say something...SAY IT!"

Pan blushed, "You were pretty calm in there...that's all," Vegeta's eyes widened, "I thought you were going to destroy something..."

"Hmmph," The prince snorted with a smirk, "You'll learn over time that it's not wise to anger my wife," Vegeta remarked, his eyes shifting towards the girl, "She's pathetic as a fighter...but her nagging..." His voice trailed off as he clenched a fist.

Pan smiled slyly, "I've heard it's...unpleasant..."

"That's putting it mildly," Vegeta said with a frown as he pulled the final white glove over his fist. "Now...ready to start training, girl?"

Pan's face lit up, "Yeah!"

"Yes," Vegeta corrected her with a grimace, "I hate 'yeah'...say, yes instead. Understood?"

Pan nodded, "Yes."

"Alright...that's better," He said slowly and rushed towards her, awaiting to see what this girl could do.

"That was great, Bulma," Videl smiled as she helped her and Chi Chi take the dishes to the sink. Gohan was patting his very full stomach, along with Krillin, who looked stuffed. 18 was taking his and her plates to the sink, as Goten stretched, Marron beside him. Uub was finishing his meal, as Bra casually slipped past him with her plate. Trunks smiled as he looked towards the kitchen door to the outside.

"So...Pan's going to train with dad," He said with a small smile. Gohan nodded,

"I think she can handle him," The father said, rubbing his chest slightly, which still twinged from the previous day.

"Trunks," Bulma said over the sink, "I need to talk to you if you're done eating."

The Demi-Saiyan groaned and got up, walking towards his mother, who led him out of the kitchen.

"What is it?" Trunks asked impatiently. "It's getting to where I can't have a decent word with anyone else before you--"

"Hush," Bulma silenced him, "I wanted to tell you that you got a phone call this morning." The tone of her voice suggested that she was please by the phone call. Trunks raised an eyebrow,

"So? You led me out here to tell me that--?"

"It was from a woman named Yvonne...do you know her?" Her eyes were scanning her son's face as he started to answer the question.

"Wh--what? No I don't--" Then a flash in his mind occured, and he remembered something from the weeks prior to that day. "Wait! Now I remember!"

"And?" Bulma looked curious.

"Yvonne? That's the name of the woman in the bridal store that helped us try on our tuxes," Trunks said with wide eyes. "Why'd she call?"

Bulma sighed with relief and a smile spread on her face, "Well, she called because she saw your face in your grandfather's science magazine--"

"Are you serious?" Trunks cut in. The picture he'd posed for was for the Capsule Corp. Foundation Event his grandfather had hosted shortly after the wedding tuxedo fitting, and it hadn't been his best portrait to say the least. "She saw me in that--"

"No interupting!" Bulma snapped, "She saw your name in there and called here asking you if you wanted to go out tonight." Her voice was eager and hopeful.

"Go out? As in---?" Trunks raised an eyebrow.

Bulma's eager voice faded to anger, "ON A DATE, SILLY!" She said, knocking a fist sharply on his forehead.

"_What_?" Trunks looked surprised and mildly disgusted. "And I'm assuming you want me to go...don't you?"

"OF _COURSE_!" Bulma sneered, "You don't know any women at all...except for Marron, Pan, and your sister! It's pathetic!"

"I don't know..." Trunks couldn't quite remember what Yvonne was like; it had been several weeks since he'd seen her...and he hadn't been looking that closely before. "I don't really recall her that well..."

"Oh who cares?" Bulma said threateningly, "She's a date and that's what counts! You'll get to see her when she comes over here!"

"She's coming _here_?" Trunks felt his throat tighten.

"Of course she is!" Bulma said with a snicker, "I gave her directions to our house."

"You _WHAT_?!?" Trunks stepped back in surprise.

"I knew you'd go for the date, so I went ahead and gave her our address."

The Demi-Saiyan collapsed in the seat beside him, dumbfounded. "And dad--?"

"He doesn't know and I don't plan on him to for a while," Bulma said with a faint sneer on her face. Trunks stared at her, too lost for words.

The red hover car sprinted faster down the road, towards the limits of the city. The boy driving looked behind his shoulder for a split second and then towards the woman in the seat next to him.

"You're sure this is the right way?" He asked with doubt shadowing his voice.

"Positive," The woman nodded, strands of her light red hair falling slowly into her face, her large brown eyes squinting in the afternoon sun, "This is the right way. Trust me."

The boy nodded curtly, "I trust you...but still...this is pretty far out for a corporate headquarters."

"We're not going to the headquarters," the woman replied with a sly glance towards him, "We're going to the owner's home in particular."

"_Seriously_?" The boy's eyes widened, "Why?"

"I figured she'd be at home today," The woman sighed, leaning back more into the seat cushion as her brown eyes danced in the sunlight, "On a day like this, why would you be in a stuffy office?"

_Trunks and mom have been alone for a while...wonder what they're talking about? _Bra wondered as she sat by Uub in the kitchen, her hand wrapped in his. Uub was talking with Gohan and Krillin about something called "Cell Games" but she had no clue what it was about. It really sounded boring to her actually.

Goten was behind the counter with Marron, holding her in an embrace, as Chi Chi, Videl, and 18 retreated outside to see what Pan and Vegeta were up to as far as training went. The idea, as far as Goten knew, had been 18's, with Videl and Chi Chi following out of concern for his neice.

Marron leaned her head towards Goten's chest and looked up at him, "Goten?"

The Demi-Saiyan looked down at her with a puzzled look, "What is it?"

"I--" Her face clouded and her brow furrowed for a moment, as if she was deciding something in her mind, "I need to go for a moment, okay?"

"Why?" He didn't understand her.

"I'll be back," Marron said as she pulled away from him slowly, "Don't worry. This won't take long." Her voice sounded reassuring, but for some reason it also sounded unnatural. Goten obliged and let her go, but he felt awkward in doing so.

Marron walked briskly over to Bra, her own face reddening as she did so, and leaned forward so she was face to face with the blue haired woman. Bra gave her a look of slight disgust and braggartness.

"What do you want?" She said with a faint venomous charm to her voice. Uub glanced nervously towards his fiancee, as Krillin and Gohan continued talking about Cell.

"I need to talk to you," Marron said briskly, her eyes tracing Bra's. "Now."

Bra glanced to her future husband, who motioned her to go with Marron. Sighing annoyingly, she got up and followed Marron out of the room.

Goten, who looked surprised, but not alarmed by his wife's actions, quickly found a seat at the table with the three men and joined in on the discussion they were having.

"What on earth is this about?" Bra asked with an impatient voice.

"Quit being so gripy," Marron said, her face growing slightly tinged with pink, "As if you were really in on their conversation!"

"I was enjoying it!" Bra retorted with a stubborn face.

"You were enjoying their talk about what? The Cell games?" Marron raised an eyebrow suspiciously.

"What do you want?" Bra said even more impatiently, her foot stamping the ground.

Marron sighed, "Fine. I wanted to apologize."

Bra snapped her head around so fast, Marron thought it would become detached and spin off her shoulders, "What did you say?"

"Ever since that day at the mall," Marron said solemnly, "I've been angry with you...and I had a clear reason for it too, but now...I realize that the reason was stupid and I want to call a truce."

Bra stared at her dumbfounded, "Why the Hell are you doing this now?" Her face showed a small smirk, "Guilty conscience?"

Marron smirked back, "Just something I wanted off my chest before my wedding," She mused.

Bra nodded, understanding, "I guess that fits...to be honest, I had no real feelings of anger towards you due to that event."

"Then why did you avoid me?" Marron asked curiously.

"So I didn't have to beat your ass again," Bra said with a braggart tone to her voice.

Marron laughed and an evil gleam caught her eye, "Beat me? I'm afraid it was your sorry ass that got beat, Bra."

Bra frowned, but it was obvious she was in a better mood considerably, "Whatever."

Marron reached out her hand, "Truce...old friend?"

Bra stared at the hand and a congenial smile started to split across her face, "Well well...I knew it'd always be you groveling back to rekindle our friendship," She said with a malicious Vegeta-like smirk.

"You know me," Marron smiled, as Bra took her hand and shook it.

"Just keep in mind that this doesn't get you any bridesmaid points at my wedding," Bra said with a cocky smile.

"Likewise," Marron retorted, the two looking towards each other with a reunited friendship they'd once had when they were younger and had recently rediscovered.

Goten watched the whole episode out of the corner of his eye, a small smile playing on his face.

"What is it?" Uub nudged him on the arm.

"Those two finally made up," Goten smirked.

"Took them long enough," Uub thought with a nonchalant huff.

Goten smiled, and at that instant the room's tension seemed to have lessened greatly.

Chi Chi stood on the end of the Brief's veranda overlooking Vegeta and Pan's training area they'd set up. Videl and 18 stood on the ground below the veranda, Videl's eyes glancing towards the gravity chamber.

"I wonder if they're in there," She said slowly, nudging her head towards the chamber. Chi Chi looked flustered,

"Why on earth Pan would want to train with _him_," She made a sour face, "Is beyond me."

"Can you blame her?" 18 said softly, "Of all the people to train with, he'd be the most fierce...and best."

"Yes, but," Chi Chi shifted uncomfotably, "Still...he's so...vile."

18 laughed, "He IS that..."

Videl tapped the side of the training chamber with slight caution, "I don't feel any vibrations from inside."

Chi Chi's eyes widened, "What does that mean?"

"It means," The Android said with a sigh, "That no one's in there."

"But where are they then," Videl asked the Android, "If they're not in here?"

"Look up," 18 said quickly, and as Videl did, she suddenly noticed two figures speeding towards the ground.

"Ah! Get out of the way!" Videl yelled, as her and 18 retreated to the veranda with Chi Chi.

Shortly after they'd gotten away from the ground, the two figures impacted on the dirt and dust flew everywhere. When enough had cleared to where the women on the veranda could see, they saw the two warriors staring at each other with a hungry and growing force inside one another.

Pan, her black hair covered in dusty brown dirt, her pink shirt covered in soil, and her right knee exposed from a torn pant leg, breathed heavily as she rubbed her right arm, which suddenly felt tense and slightly sore. Vegeta, who appeared to be in better shape than her, bore a slightly cringeworthy gash on his forehead, and a ripped part of his battlesuit on his left arm. He let out a long sigh of mild fatigue as he stared at the girl.

"Not bad," The Saiyan said slowly, examining her, trying to feel for Ki. "Not bad at all."

"I'm--I'm surprised you could keep up," Pan gasped, smiling as she did, "As well as you did."

Vegeta smirked, "What did you expect?"

"I don't know," Pan smiled and sighed, her arm rubbing her right arm more intensely.

"Pan!" Videl called out, seeing her daughter and rushing towards her.

The girl looked immediately shocked and embarrassed as her mother came up beside her. Videl examined her arm and as checking for bleeding, Chi Chi was hovering over Pan, trying to figure out why her hair was such a mess, and Pan was looking thoroghly miserable with the whole situation.

Vegeta would have laughed at this idiotice situation, if it did not tick him off as it did. He gave the group an evil glare as 18 came up beside him.

"Come to watch?" The Saiyan said with a hateful tone as she approached, "Figure you'll learn something?"

"I always do," 18 replied with a grin. "How bad have you hurt her so far?"

"Nothing she can't handle," Vegeta replied bluntly.

"And how bad has she hurt you?"

Vegeta stared at the Android, whom he knew was laughing her head off at this moment inside her mind, because she knew. She knew that deep down he was hurting...that deep down, the girls blows had delivered real pain. The pain that was numbing his arm at this moment...he'd felt that...inside...it had been real. The fact remained that while he was stronger than her...she was improving...and improving fast for her level of skill.

"As if it was any of your business in the first place," Vegeta said with a sneer, but then smirked, "But she hasn't barely made me break a sweat."

"I see," 18 smiled, "But how bad did she hurt you?" She knew he was avoiding her question.

Vegeta was about to remind 18 how weak Pan was, and how the girl hadn't really affected him, when the girl looked up past Vegeta's shoulder and cried out,

"What's _that_?"

The four others turned to see what Pan was pointing at.

A red hover car was jetting down the road, leaving a murky trail of dust behind it. The five squinted to see who was in the Capsule Corp vehicle, but with the sun and the dust, it was near impossible. But the roar of the engine could be heard as the hover car pulled into the driveway of the Brief's home.

While the four women were staring and trying to make sense of who could be coming to the Brief's house, Vegeta stepped forward and started making his way towards the driveway. The hairs on the back of his neck were standing on end, his fingers tingling.

_This Ki..._ Vegeta thought with an amazed stare, _It's stronger than most of the humans near here...as strong as Pan's...possibly..stronger?_

As he made his way forward, he noticed two other figures had joined him. Gohan and Krillin came up beside him, each bearing a similar expression as he had.

"We felt someone coming," Gohan said bluntly to Vegeta, who nodded curtly.

"I take it you did too, Vegeta?" Krillin said looking up at the Saiyan.

"Naturally," Vegeta said with a frown, "What are they doing here is my question."

"I haven't felt someone with a power level like ours in a long time," Gohan said with an eager look on his face.

"Should we go back and get Uub and Goten?" Krillin asked nervously, "Just in case?"

"Nah, don't be a wimp, Krillin," Gohan smiled, "How dangerous can someone that literally drives up on a red hover car be?"

Krillin didn't look too reassured, "They sound fairly confident to me."

Pan nudged her way past her mother, "I want to go see who it is!"

Videl gave her daughter a frightened look and tried to grab Pan's shirt, but the girl had already slipped past and was running towards the men up front, "Pan! Stop!"

"Let her be," Chi Chi sighed with a frown, "She's going to go up there anyway..."

Videl gave her mother-in-law an incredulous look, "Excuse me? That's my daughter we're talking about--"

"Exactly," Chi Chi smiled, "She's fine."

"I'm going up there to see what this is about as well," 18 said bluntly, leaving Videl and Chi Chi at the veranda.

The door suddenly opened and Bulma was out on the veranda with the two women. "What just happened? Is someone here?"

Krillin, Vegeta, and Gohan all walked towards the hover car, as two figures slowly emerged from it. 18 was by their side shortly before they reached the figures. Pan was behind 18.

"What are you doing, 18?" Krillin said with a concerned voice.

"The same thing you are," The Android said with a cold smirk. "Got a problem with it?"

"No," Krillin said, perturbed by her statement, "But you could have stayed back with the other women..."

Pan poked her head from the other side of 18, "And miss all the fun? No way!"

Gohan's head spun towards his daughter, "Pan! Why are you up here?" He asked sternly.

"Aww...dad...come on...there's no real harm up here! You guys are overreacting!" Pan pouted, stepping out beside 18.

"Still..." Gohan gave his daughter a slightly uneasy glance. Vegeta huffed and picked up the pace of his steps and made his way towards the side of the hover car. One of the figures that had just exited the hover car came face to face with the Saiyan as the dust from the hover car cleared.

The woman who was standing next to Vegeta was about as tall as he was, if not an inch taller. Her red hair was in a loose bun, with a few of the strands hanging loosely around her face, many of those had started to turn grayish white. Her bright brown eyes were large and had a slight narrowness to them that showed her age. Nevertheless, she looked very beautiful for a woman that was probably in her mid to upper forties, and if her hair had not had streaks of gray, the Saiyan may have thought she was younger.

"Eh..." Vegeta stammered, backing up a notch, slightly disturbed by her confident stride towards him, her eyes looking fearless. The Saiyan narrowed his eyes and frowned at this unfamiliar face. "Who are you, and what are you doing here?" He said with a hateful tone.

Another figure came up from the other side of the hover car, this time a boy in his teens with blue-green hair and fierce light brown eyes that matched the woman's. He was almost as tall as Vegeta, and now the Saiyan, along with the other Z warriors saw that the Ki they had felt was coming from him.

"Mo--" The boy began with a concerned look towards her and Vegeta, but the woman held up a hand to signal him to stop. The boy obeyed, and the woman smiled at Vegeta; a warm smile the Saiyan was not accustomed to.

"It's okay," She said softly to the boy, then turned her eyes back to Vegeta, "If you wish to know who I am, you could ask a bit more politely," She said with a smile.

The Saiyan felt the blood rise to his face as a tiny shockwave of embarrassment hit him. _Did she just say--_

"Whoa," Krillin whispered to his wife, "Who is this woman?"

"I have no idea," 18 whispered back, but there was something about the boy...something that was familiar about him...she couldn't place it though.

"What did you say woman?" Vegeta growled.

"I hope you heard me," The woman said, crossing her arms, "Unless you're deaf of course."

The others gaped at the woman's bravado, as Vegeta's blood boiled. "You have some nerve---"

"I know I do," The woman smiled and laughed lightly, "You Saiyans have just as much too."

These words stopped Vegeta in his tracks, and he stared at the woman for a moment in silence, as did the others.

Vegeta's eyes widened, "How did you know I was a--"

"Saiyan?" The woman smiled and laughed, "Please! A flared temper, bad haircut, and that Ki level? The only one like you I've met is Goku!"

The group stared at this strange woman who seemed to know so much about them, and suddenly Krillin's eyes widened.

"YOU!" He called out, pointing at her, "I know you!"

18 stared at her husband in surprise, but the woman smiled, squinting slightly to see him.

"Krillin, isn't it?" She smiled. The boy was now beside her.

"Yes!" The earthling smiled, "You're Suno!"

The boy turned to the woman with surprise, "How does _HE _know you?"

"I was told about you by Goku," the woman called Suno said with a slight sigh in her voice, "I see you haven't gotten much taller."

"_ALRIGHT_," Vegeta roared, his face contorting with anger, "WHO THE HELL ARE _YOU _AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING _HERE_?!?!" He roared in Suno's face, causing her red hair to quiver. She gave the Saiyan a stern look, but her eyes showed no fear towards him.

"Stubborn, stubborn," The woman said with a teasing quality to her voice. "Fine, my name is Suno. When I was a young girl, Son Goku came to my village. I saved him from freezing to death, and he always promised to repay me for my services," Her eyes flickered for a moment, "But I had nothing to ask of him."

"So Suno," Krillin asked with a surprised voice, "Why have you come here now?"

"I figured out something for Goku to do that would repay me for my service to him," She said nonchalantly, "I received an invitation to a wedding as well," She smiled, "and decided now would be the best time to come and see him." She glanced around, and saw Gohan standing near her. Her eyes narrowed, "You look like him, but you're not Goku, are you?"

Gohan blushed, "No, I'm his son, Gohan."

"Huh...Gohan...," Suno smiled warmly, "Named after your grandfather, no doubt?"

"Well," The Demi-Saiyan blushed even more, "Yes--"

"SO," Vegeta huffed angrily, frustrated at this stupid conversation, "What do you want with Kakarot?" He sneered at Suno.

"Kakarot?" The woman gave Vegeta a confused look.

"Long story short, that's what he calls Goku," Krillin said with an agitated sigh.

"Oh," The woman nodded, "I came to ask him if he'd train my son," She said coolly, stepping aside so the boy behind her was visible.

Now Vegeta and the others could clearly see the boy. Vegeta stared in surprise at the woman, then his eyes darted to the boy. It was obvious to the group that his Ki was already very strong. 18 shifted in her stance a little, but said nothing. Krillin looked towards her with concerned glance, but decided not to press his wife at his moment.

Gohan stepped forward, "Miss Suno," A saddened look came across his face, "I know you came a long way to get here, but...my father hasn't been on earth for a while now." He could sense Pan behind him, her face cross.

Suno's eyes widened, "He's dead?" She whispered in disbelief. The boy's eyes widened as well.

"Not dead," Gohan said with a nervous glance, not sure how to explain.

"He's left this planet...for who knows where," Vegeta said in a blunt fashion, one Gohan was thankful for at the moment.

"I see," It was obvious this news hurt her.

The Z warriors looked at her, but didn't know what to say to make her feel any better. It was obvious the main reason she had come was for that purpose.

"We'll train the boy," A voice called out from the front of the Brief's home.

The Z warriors including Suno and her son looked towards the voice and saw it was Goten who had spoken. Trunks and Uub were behind him as they headed towards the group.

"What?" Vegeta and Gohan muttered at the same time.

"Y--you," Suno stammered, and then looked at Gohan and Vegeta in surprise, "You told me Goku was gone!"

Goten blushed as he stood next to Suno, his hand scratching the back of his head, "My father is gone...I'm his son Goten."

"_WHAT_?" This time the woman was speechless. "You're his son too?" She glanced at Gohan and then back to Goten as a small smile appeared on her face, "Now I _really _feel old."

"And what exactly makes you think you three are going to train the boy?" Gohan asked his brother with a raised eyebrow.

"What makes you think we can't?" Goten challenged, his eyes narrowing.

"Unless you and Vegeta are willing to train him," Trunks added with a smirk.

Vegeta frowned, "It's bad enough I'm training one weakling," He grunted, as Gohan shot him a dirty look and Pan blushed, "I don't need two."

"Then we'll train him," Goten replied.

Uub stepped in front of the group and beside Suno. "Goku trained me as a boy," He said with a solemn tone, "I was grateful for his training, so it is the least I can do to pass his teachings on to someone else."

Suno smiled and nodded, Vegeta snorted in disgust, and Gohan looked somewhat at a loss for words.

"Thanks you," She smiled, her eyes slightly glossy, "You have no idea how proud I am to have my son being trained by Goku's son and apprentice..and," She gave Trunks a curious look, "You are?"

"He's my son," Vegeta said sharply.

Suno nodded, "I can see the resemblence now," She smiled.

The boy, who had been unusually quiet the entire time, walked forward and bowed his head slightly, his blueish green hair falling into his face.

"Thank you, senseis," He said with as he stood straight again, "For offering me training."

"Eh, it's nothing," Goten said with a smile. "And don't do the sensei thing...I'm Goten, and that's Trunks and Uub."

The boy nodded with a smile, as Goten saw Vegeta glaring at him from the corner of his eye. Krillin smiled, glad to see the next generation involved in some form of training,

"Feels like the old days again, eh, 18?" He said slyly.

"Somewhat," The Android said with a faint grin.

Pan had made her way towards Gohan's side, "Aw, I don't get to train with them?" She said looking up at her father.

"Are you telling me you don't want to train with Vegeta anymore?" Gohan said with a raised eyebrow.

The girl looked toward Vegeta and saw he was glaring at her with a look of pure rage in his eyes. She gulped loudly, "Uhm...nevermind."

"What on earth are you guys doing?" Bulma's voice rang out from behind the house. The group turned to see Bulma, Chi Chi, Videl, Marron, and Bra walking towards them. "You can't even announce our new guest or would that be asking for too much?"

"Hey, come over here!" Gohan called out, waving to his wife and the other women.

Suno squinted her eyes and then she realized who was talking, "BULMA?" She said, her face lighting up in amazement.

"What?" Bulma stopped in her tracks, "Who on earth?" Then she suddenly realized who it was, "_SUNO_? Oh my gosh, I can't believe it!"

"Oh, so everyone knows who the Hell she is except _me_?" Vegeta sneered and gave his wife a deadly stare.

"Say," Goten said, looking at the boy, "We don't even know your name, do we?" Trunks and Uub turned to the boy as well.

The boy blushed slightly, "My name is Frost," The boy said with a small smile.

"_Frost_?" Goten said with a curious stare, "That's an odd name, no offense."

"Not exactly a warrior's name, huh?" The boy frowned.

"It'll work for now," Trunks replied, his arms crossed in a manner as his father's would usually be.

For a moment, it seemed like a cheery reunion. Suno was giving Bulma a quick embrace and talking with her and Chi Chi and Krillin, as Videl, Marron, and Bra listened curiously. Trunks, Uub, and Goten were surrounding Frost, trying to figure out when to start training. They had quickly decided after the wedding would be the only considerable time to begin. Gohan had his arm wrapped around Pan, neither saying a word, but merely watching the groups in front of them chatting and reminescing; something that Gohan seemed to be noticing more and more. He concluded it was middle age catching up with him.

However, away from everyone else was Vegeta and 18, both bearing solemn expressions.

"So...we're finally training again," 18 said with a stern expression.

"It's about damn time," Vegeta said with a smirk.

"It is strange..," The Android's voice trailed off.

"What is?"

"Don't you find it odd?" Her blue eyes focused towards Suno, "That she'd come now of all times to request training?"

"No," Vegeta said with a frown, "She received an invitation to the wedding...that's why she came now...she said so herself."

"I think it was an excuse, but that's not why she came here...not now."

"What are you saying?" Vegeta raised an eyebrow.

18's eyes narrowed, "The boy has a distinct Ki...and power to back it up. Why would she bring him here for training now, when it seems he's already had some form of training already?"

Vegeta looked shocked, "What? How can you tell he's had training already?"

18 dropped her voice significantly, "He's hiding his power at this moment."

"WHAT?" Vegeta's jaw dropped and he suddenly realized this was true. "T--that's...but...how..."

"I don't know," 18 muttered.

"How pathetic," Vegeta sneered, "Who trained him?"

"I don't know that either," 18 said with a sigh. "We'd best let this play out..until we know more about our knew warrior."

"Damn it," Vegeta muttered under his breath.

"What is it now?" 18 said with an annoyed voice.

"I hate all this waiting and letting it play out," Vegeta said in an angry voice, "Why can't we just do things as we once did and destroy now, ask questions later?"

"I think that was only _you _that ever did that, Vegeta," 18 said with a sly grin as the two started to go and join the others, as the sun started to set in the open sky.

As the sky blackened outside, Goten and Chi Chi went back to their house, along with Frost and Suno, whom they said could stay with them for the time being. Videl, Gohan, and Pan left shortly thereafter, with Pan promising Vegeta she'd train with him more as soon as the wedding was over and done with. Uub kissed Bra on the lips (not in front of Vegeta) before saying his goodbyes for the night, and 18, Marron, and a tired Krillin finally exited the Briefs house, leaving Vegeta to his healing tank, Bra to her room, and Trunks to his date.

"This is so stupid," Trunks muttered as he adjusted the bright blue button up shirt his mother had bought for him to wear. Bulma ran a comb through his lavender hair and gave him a incredulous look.

"You look fine, quit whining," She said with a grin.

"I'm not talking about how I look," Trunks groaned, "I meant me having to go on this stupid date."

"Oh, quit fussing. You'll have fun," She insisted, as she heard the knocking at the door.

"Isn't it usually the man that picks up the date?" Trunks said with a sigh, pulling on his black shoes.

"Usually," Bulma said with a sharp glare, "But I was afraid you wouldn't be able to find her house if she left directions."

"Are you serious?" Trunks said in disbelief as he came to the door, "I'm not a teenager, mom!"

"Really?" Bulma said with a snap, as she prepared to open the door, "You could have fooled me."

The door opened to reveal the woman that Trunks had saw in the Bridal shop. She was wearing a long lacy yellow dress, which accented her curves and her dark skin. Her black hair was sleeked and wrapped up into a very eleagant updo. She glanced at Trunks and smiled a very white smile.

"So," She said with a grin, her voice a sultry coo almost, "I see I'm not too early?"

"Of course not," Bulma said for her son. Trunks glance at Yvonne, his forehead beading slightly with sweat. _She DID look nice..._

"Uhm...ready to go...wherever?" Trunks said in a nervous voice as Yvonne wrapped an arm into his.

"Sure! Let's go!" She said with a sweet smile, her head up against Trunks' arm. Trunks gave a nervous jerk of his head towards Bulma, who smiled with approval. "Do you like Chinese?" She asked with a sweet smile.

"Y-Yes," Trunks replied with a shiver that crept up his skin. He hadn't had a sensation like that in a long time.

"Great! You driving?" Yvonne asked as they reached the driveway.

"S--sure," Trunks stammered and opened the passenger door for Yvonne.

"Heh, such a gentleman," She said in a girly voice. Trunks blushed and hopped into the driver's seat of his vehicle.

Bulma watched them take off from the front porch and smiled; _Thank God someone's taking an interest in my son..._

"Woman!" Vegeta called from inside, "Where's that boy?" He walked out onto the porch with Bulma, "I wanted to spar with him."

"He's gone on a date, Vegeta," Bulma sighed, realizing it was pointless now to hide the information from her husband.

"WHAT?" Vegeta's eyes widened in anger, "Who said he could go on a date?!?"

"I did! Is there a problem?" Bulma was now face to face with her husband, her eyes meeting his.

"Of course there's a problem! Our son is starting training sessions again; he has NO time for dates!"

Bulma's face fell, her eyes enraged, "Oh my gosh, Vegeta! Our son finally gets a date with an actual woman and you want him to quit and train!"

Vegeta glared at her as if she was the dumbest thing on the planet, which was what he thought at the moment, "Woman, that boy has had years to date...it's not my fault he hasn't seized the opportunity...now, he is going to train, and not date, until I say he can date! Is that clear?"

Bulma's face contorted with frustration, "GEEZ! I can't BELIEVE YOU SOMETIMES!" She screamed and came within an inch of his face. "IS IT CLEAR? OH, IT'S CLEAR, YOU JERK! I can't believe that Trunks finally gets a woman to like him, and he has to let her go JUST SO YOU CAN TRAIN SOME MO--"

"Shut up, woman," Vegeta cut in and wrapped a hand around Bulma's neck, drawing her face towards his and kissing her. Bulma, too stunned for words, took the long kiss and didn't break away. Vegeta held her in the embrace for a moment longer as he slowly drew away from her, his wife breathless and lost for words.

The Saiyan turned from his wife, who was standing in shock on the porch and walked back inside, to see his daughter staring at him with a disgusted look on her face.

"Why--why on earth do you just do that without warning people?" Bra said with a slightly green tint to her face.

Vegeta shrugged as if what had just happened was nothing, "It's the only way to shut her up," He said bluntly walking past Bra. His daughter glared at him, but she knew that deep down, Vegeta hadn't kissed his wife just to shut her up.

Trunks glanced up from his dinner plate to stare at Yvonne, wondering if she was liking the food. The Chinese restaurant had taken no time to get to, and since Yvonne had insisted on a buffet, the wait time for their food was practically none at all.

"What's the matter?" She asked him, eyeing him curiously. "Somethin' wrong?"

"No, no, it's just that," He eyed the food on his plate, "I usually don't eat at many...buffets like this."

"Fancy eater, huh?" Yvonne smirked. "I figured you were, your granddad bein' the head of Capsule Corp and all."

Trunks lifted his head up, "Is that why you wanted to date me?" The tone in his voice was curious, but also stern.

"Not really," Yvonne mused, "I just saw your name in there and realized it was you from the bridal shop," She said, stuffing in another bite of rice, but for some reason, Trunks didn't like the tone in which she'd said it.

"Oh, I see," He said with a serious voice. He didn't really know whether to thank his mother for letting him have this date with Yvonne or curse her for making it so yet. For the first time in a while, he really had no clue what he was doing, or any control over the situation.

"Is that a problem?" Yvonne said with a slightly mysterious look on her face. Her brown eyes twinkled in the light from the lantern overhead.

Trunks felt his neck grow hotter, "Nope...not at all," And stuffed in another bite of chow mein without further questioning about the situation that evening.

_**Well, that's that for this chapter! How was it? I know..I originally wanted to play up the Trunks date A LOT more...but as the time went on and I was away from the writing booth...I began to regret playing it up so much...So I apologize for that! This wasn't one of my better chapters either, so I apologize for that and for making you wait so long! Sorry! School's been hectic and crazy...but you know how that goes!**_

_**But if it makes you feel better, I can finally pour my heart and soul into the next chapter, which is...YOU GUESSED IT! THE WEDDING!!!! FINALLY! Believe me, all that can go wrong...WILL! Will the couple get to say "I do?" We'll find out in the next chapter, which I will have out hopefully in a lot less time than it took to write this chapter! **_

_**So, until then, send me any suggestions you have on how I can make the wedding more crazy! I would appreciate any and ALL suggestions! **_

_**Also, thank you all so much for all the support and feedback on this story! I truly appreciate it! I love you all, and you ROCK SO MUCH! Don't hesitate to send me a review or comment on your feeling's about the story! All feedback is welcome and appreciated! Thanks again, and I hope you enjoy the chapters to come! **_

_**Peace out and ROCK ROCK ON! -Happy Thanksgiving!-**_

_**Romania Black**_


	34. This Day We Called Our Wedding, Part One

The Taming of the Saiyan

By Romania Black

_**Hey everyone! I hope your Thanksgiving was memorable! I can't believe we're at the final month of 2006...it seems like yesterday I was celebrating New Years in 2005...WHERE DID THIS YEAR GO??? -ahem- Anyway, Finals were a KILLER, and it cut out a lot of writing time, but I FINALLY got this chapter done! Please don't kill me! --**_

**_FINALLY...THE WEDDING! Chapter 34 is one that I've waited to write for a while... I was so excited to start writing this chapter, and I think that it turned out Better than I could have expected it to! Sadly, this is part ONE, I couldn't fit it all in one part, but it is IMPORTANT to the next part of the story, so all this info IS necessary, believe it or not! So hopefully you'll enjoy it! _**

**_Of course, it's SUPER LONG...and why not? This is a special occasion...worthy of the title of LONGEST CHAPTER SO FAR IN THIS STORY!!! WOOT! I wanted to include any detail I could think of in this story, so you can imagine it's crazy! ha ha, _**

_**Well, if you like long chapters, I'm sure you'll like this...and if you don't...bear with me! This one's worth it! 66 Just think of it as an hour long special of DBZ...if it had been a show...ha ha, can you imagine?**_

_**Disclaimer: I own NOTHING of Akira Toriyama...but if he wishes to use any of my ideas...GO FOR IT! **_

_**Story Rated T for TEEN due to mild violence, brief language, mild sexual themes, and alcohol reference/consumption...**_

_**Reviews:**_

**_Sinful Sakura: Yay! LOL, I'm glad you like Suno and Frost! tee hee, don't we all want to see Bra's face in a toilet bowl? ha ha, actually I AM thinking of a sequel to this story, and Frost's training will definately be in it! But more on that to come of course! Happy fun Maplestorying it! lol, Hope you enjoy this chapter and the rest of the story! Thanks for the review!!!!_**

**_Kumori Ookami: You can sure guess em! You'll see Yvonne isn't all she seems...heh heh, I really torture her in this chapter! ha ha, and the next! But anyway, YES, Vegeta and Bulma are my FAVES too! lol, but Gohan and Videl are cute too! Thanks SO much for the review and Enjoy the chapter!_**

**_Witch of Erie Knoll: I feel for you! I'm busy this season too, so don't feel bad! Thanks so much for the review! I hate it when I'm too tired to even write anything! Isn't that bad! Anyway, Keep up the good work on YOUR fic too! I can't wait for an update! Thanks so much and enjoy the story!_**

_**You all have no idea how grateful I am for all the reviews and support this story has received! Thank you all, and I hope you continue to contribute! YOU ALL KEEP ME GOING WITH THIS! I LOVE YOU ALL!!!! Also, a special thanks to BillyTalentPhuckingRocks for the Private Messages, they have been a huge inspiration! Thanks! Ciao for now everyone, and please:**_

_**Enjoy the Story!**_

_**Romania Black**_

Chapter Thirty-Four: This Day We Called Our Wedding, Part One

Trunks stumbled into the dark kitchen and stared at the clock on the wall. In bright, bold green glowing numerals, the time 2:35 blinked on the screen. The Demi-Saiyan ran a hand through his lavender hair and sighed, realizing how tired he was. He fumbled past the living room and slowly up the stairs to his bedroom, a slow dull pounding ringing sensation in his head.

Crawling under his covers, Trunks finally laid his head down on the pillow silently, sleep overpowering him as he closed his eyes and fell asleep...

_**BEEP BEEP!!! BEEP BEEP!!!! BEEP BEEP!!!! BEEP BEEP!!!!**_

****"_Arrgghh!" _Trunks moaned as he flew his fist into the beeping alarm clock and pushed his head further down into the pillow.

"Tra-unks!" Bulma said chipperly, rushing to his bedroom and flinging on the lights. She threw herself forward and landed beside him on his bed, "How was your date, dear?" She said, leaning towards him.

The Demi-Saiyan lifted his head out of the pillow and squinted in the harsh light, "_Oww_, what?" He stared at his mother a second, "Oh, the date...it was fine." He really had no time to lie to his mother this morning.

"Wonderful!" Bulma beamed, "Well, I invited Yvonne to the wedding this afternoon if that's all right."

Trunks sat up immediately, "You **_WHAT_?**" He said with wide eyes.

"I invited her to the wedding with us," Bulma clarified, "I thought the date would go well! She's meeting us at eight to join up before we head to the ceremony!"

Trunks didn't know whether to strangle his mother or bang his head up against the bed's headboard. "I--I---I--"

"I can see you're speechless, and that's okay," Bulma said with an innocent smile, "I understand completely." She grinned, "Isn't this wonderful?"

Trunks fell back against his pillow and slowly felt the stinging headache returning to his forehead. "_Great_..."

"I know!" Bulma said cheerily. "Now get up, son, we don't have that much time!"

Trunks looked at the clock beside him, "It's only fifteen after six," He said with a confused look.

"I know, but we have to get you cleaned up and your hair ready, so we can meet up with Yvonne, go over to Roshi's, get your tux on and cleaned up, and get you in position for the wedding!" Her eyes were eager and grew more excited with each word she spoke.

Trunks looked at her with a skeptical stare, "And it's going to take that long to do all that?"

Bulma's eager smile turned to a stern frown in a flash, "_YES _it is! Now get up and get ready!" She yelled, throwing off the covers on his bed and throwing him practically to his feet.

Bra passed him as Bulma was shoving him out of his room, "_Awww_, did someone get in late last night?" Bra said with a teasing baby-voice.

"Hush, Bra, and get ready," Bulma snapped, pushing him to the bathroom down the hall. "Now, shower up, Trunks, and get ready! We have to be ready to go by eight O' clock!" She said urgently, as the bathroom door shut with an agitated and aggravated Trunks inside.

****Vegeta came out into the hall, an angry look upon his face, "Woman, how am I supposed to get this stupid thing on?" He motioned to the white silk tie Bulma had given him to wear for the wedding. She thought it matched well with his pink button up shirt and khakis. Vegeta looked at the tie with disgust as his wife helped him tie it.

"It's not hard, dear, it just takes a certain way to do it," She said softly as she tightened the grip on the tie.

"Easy for you to say," The Saiyan glared, "You don't have to wear...this _outfit_!" He motioned to what he was wearing.

"Oh, I wouldn't say that," Bulma said, a finger tracing the side of her face as she looked him up and down, "I think you look handsome and strong," She said, almost forcing the last word, because despite his gorgeousness to her at that moment, _strong _wasn't a word she thought amplified his look.

"Hmmph!" Vegeta snorted, "I don't look strong in this! I look like one of your overgrown houseplants!"

"Don't be silly," Bulma said, waving a hand in front of him, "Everyone there will cower in fear before you!" Now she WAS hiding the urge to laugh at her own words. Her husband, however, took the comment with some seriousness as he walked around her and towards the kitchen. Bulma ran to the bedroom so she could laugh without him hearing.

Meanwhile, at the house of Gohan and Videl, things were slightly less organized.

"Pan!" Videl called out as she ran out of her room, struggling to get one of her navy blue heels to stay on her feet. She hated getting dressed for these occasions, and merely longed for the day she could have wore her black fighting shorts and white oversized t-shirt. "Are you almost ready?"

The silence from the other side of Pan's door suggested otherwise. Videl groaned and headed towards her daughter's room, as she heard Gohan in the background.

"Videl, I can't seem to find that gray shirt I'm supposed to wear," His voice sounded distant and somewhat concerned.

His wife was almost at Pan's door, "What do you mean you can't find it?"

"I just said I can't find it," Gohan's voice was now more stubborn, "How much clearer can I get?"

"Well, hold on a second and I'll come and help you find it!" Videl snapped as she opened up Pan's door.

The room was silent, and in the corner of it was a blue and yellow bed with a large lump under it. Videl's face went white as she rushed to the bed. She yanked back the comforter and saw her daughter's sleeping form snoozing quietly under the covers. The older woman's face contorted with fury,

"_PAN!!!" _She screamed, and her daughter instantly awoke and sat straight up in bed, her eyes wide with fear.

"Wha--hoozit---what?" Pan said in a confused voice, wiping the gunk out of her eyes.

"WHY AREN'T YOU UP ALREADY?" Videl's eyes were lit as if on fire.

"Am I supposed to be?" Pan said sleepily.

"Oh, I don't know," Videl said sarcastically through gritted teeth, "It's only the DAY OF THE WEDDING and you're just the MAID OF HONOR!" She felt her blood boil more with each word.

"Yeah, but it's," She stopped and yawned, "Only seven O' clock, mom. We have plenty of time!"

"NO, we do NOT have plenty of time! We have to be at Roshi's by EIGHT!" She screamed.

"Why? The wedding's at noon," Pan groaned and rolled over on her side to go back to sleep.

Videl, seething with anger, flipped her daughter over and sat her up; Pan very surprised by this.

"WE have to be over there to rehearse at eight-thirty! Now GET UP, GET SHOWERED, and _GET READY TO GO_!" Videl screamed and shoved Pan out of bed and then outside towards the bathroom. Pan gave her mom a dirty look, but hurried into the bathroom nonetheless.

Gohan ran out of the bedroom, dressed in black dress pants, but with no shirt on. Videl sighed and straightened her navy blue dress as he came towards her. "I still can't find that shirt, Videl," He said with a worried voice.

Videl sighed and shook her head, "It's okay. Pan still has to get ready, so I'll help you find it," She said with another sigh as she walked into the bedroom with him. After scanning the area three times, she suddenly noticed a pile of clothes by the closet door.

She turned to her husband with an exasperated look, "Dear, what is that?" She asked, pointing to the pile of clothes.

Gohan, who was searching the closet, looked down at the pile for a second, "Oh, that's just clothes that were on the bed last night. I threw them down there."

Videl's eyes narrowed as she bent down and started rummaging through the pile, "WHY did you do that?"

Gohan didn't look at her as he replied, "I don't know. Didn't think much about it."

"Well," Videl ripped out a crumpled grey shirt and waved it in front of her husband, who looked at it with surprise, "Maybe next time you need to think about it more!" Gohan's face paled as he realized that was his shirt.

"I'm sorry, Videl, I just--"

"Forget it," She sighed and started to wheel the ironing board into the room, "I have time to iron it."

"This is sad," Gohan said with a small chuckle. "It's not even our own child's wedding, and look at how crazy things are!"

Videl gave him a grim look, "I can't imagine what it will be like at Pan's wedding."

Gohan immediately looked slightly cross, as well as nervous, "I'd rather not think about her getting married anytime soon."

His wife gave him a look that showed complete agreement, as she started to iron out his shirt, "I couldn't agree with you more."

And as this went on, there was slight dilemma at Chi Chi's house...

"_GOTEN_!" Chi Chi banged on the bathroom door loudly, "It's been AN HOUR AND TEN MINUTES since you got into that shower! What's taking so long?"

A distant voice rang out over the sound of running water, "I have to be extra clean for today!"

"Dear lord, son, you can't be that dirty!" She said in slight disgust, then a small message ran through her mind. _Or can he? _"Goten, when's the last time you showered?"

"Not too long ago," Goten replied from the shower.

_NOT the answer I was looking for, _"Well, hurry up!" Chi Chi bellowed from the hall, "There are other people who have to shower as well, you know!" Her eyes glanced for a second to Frost and Suno, who were eating eggs and ham in the kitchen, seeming quite oblivious to Chi Chi's ranting. She only wished she could hear what they were saying.

"Geez," Frost said almost under his breath, looking slight nervous towards his mother, "That woman is scary."

"Chi Chi?" Suno whispered back with a smile, "Yes, she is formidable."

Frost swiped a blueish-green bang from his face, "Do you really think that Goten doesn't bathe regularly?"

Suno gave him a stern look, but smiled, "Oh, I'm sure he does regularly," She waved a finger at her son, "Don't be so anal, Frost."

"I am not anal," The boy's brow furrowed, "Just curious."

"Well, I don't know if he bathes regularly," Suno sighed, "He may not. He's part Saiyan, and I KNOW Goku didn't bathe every day. But it doesn't matter," She gave her son a cautioning glance, "He's going to be your trainer and sensei, so don't question him on it."

"I won't," Frost said with a hint of defiance in his voice.

"I'm so sorry," Chi Chi said apologetically, coming up from behind Frost, "Goten usually doesn't take this long at all--"

"It's okay," Suno smiled warmly, "It's his wedding day. He has a right to be nervous."

"But still," Chi Chi glanced to the clock, "It's going to make us late."

Suno sipped her coffee and smiled congenially, "Don't worry Chi Chi," And her smile widened, "They can't start without us."

"Marron, you shouldn't eat too much before rehearsal," 18 advised her as she double-checked the bags they were taking to the ceremony at Roshi's. Her daughter slowly put down her fork of food.

"But I'm hungry, mom!" Marron said sternly, "Are you afraid I won't fit into my dress or something?"

Krillin guzzled down his orange juice and smiled towards his daughter, "Nah, she just doesn't want you to get sick to your stomach at the wedding."

Marron looked apalled, "I won't get sick! I'm not nervous or anything!" She told herself that anyway. There _was _a twinge in her stomache...

"That's what I thought too," 18 said quickly, scanning the list in her hand to make sure she had packed all the essentials for today; the dress, foor, extra clothing articles, ecetra.

"You're joking?" Marron said skeptically, her eyes moving from her mother to her father.

"Nope," Krillin grinned, "You're mom spewed her guts up during the wedding vows," He chuckled and Marron saw her mother's face turn beat red.

"_MOM_!" Marron gasped.

"It's true," 18 said bluntly, "All over the minister."

"Luckily," Krillin smiled, "We continued with the rest of the wedding no problem," He winked at his wife, who gave him a stern but sincere look.

"Wow, I can't believe that," Marron said in a shocked voice, putting her dish in the sink. She was dressed in white capris and a blue tank top for the moment. She knew she'd change into her dress once they got to the beach and had done rehearsals.

"Believe it," 18 said with a satisfied look, happy that everything was set to go. "So don't eat too much...you never know."

"Don't worry," Krillin nudged his daughter in the ribs gently, "This is your big day! Nothing can go wrong on the big day!"

"Hush," 18 said with a flustered voice, "You said that last time, and you know what happened!"

"Aw," Krillin waved his hand to dismiss her objections, "That was a coincidence..a spot of bad luck. Marron," He patted his daughter's shoulder as they all started to grab the bags at the door 18 had checked, "You're going to be fine today...don't worry!"

"You really think it'll go good...without any huge problems?" She was starting to have her doubts.

18 moved ahead with the major bags, towards the vehicle. Krillin followed her, but reassured his daughter, "Guaranteed," He said smiling, "It'll go off without a hitch!"

The Android smiled grimly as they got situated with the bags in the middle of the vehicle, "I'm going to laugh when this all goes to Hell," She mused, as they took off towards the ocean shoreline.

**_8:00 AM_**

****"Everyone ready?" Bulma said with urgency in her voice, checking over everyone's shoulders and examining everyone's hair. Everyone except Vegeta's, because she knew that his hair wouldn't change no matter what was done with it. "Oh, you're hair looks so cute, Trunks!" She smiled.

Bra rolled her eyes, "It looks the same as it always does," Then a thin smile played on her lips, "Except he actually bathed--"

Trunks elbowed her, "Shut it," He said angrily, running a hand through his hair.

"Don't!" Bulma yanked his hand away from his hair as the doorbell rang, "You'll mess it up! Oh, someone's here! Hold on," She ran from the hall to the front door. Vegeta gave his son a glare,

"Who's this woman we're supposed to be meeting?" He said, eyeing his son curiously.

Trunks felt his neck grow hotter, "She's no one...just some woman that mom wants me to date," He said with a sad hint in his voice.

Bra smirked, "For someone who doesn't seem to like her, you sure spend a lot of time with her, mister two-thirty in the morning man."

The Saiyan's eyes widened slightly, "What does that mean?" He asked Bra, but his eyes kept lingering to his son, who was now flushed in the face. Trunks frowned at the two,

"It's nothing--"

"She's here!" Bulma called out from the kitchen, "Is everyone ready?"

"As ready as we're going to be," Bra said with a triumphant smirk as she started down the stairs with a curious Vegeta and an embarrassed Trunks following her reluctantly, each for their own separate reasons.

Meanwhile, at Gohan and Videl's house, the ironing board was being put up by Gohan, Videl was spritzing perfume on her wrists, and Pan was putting on her black dress shoes. She was wearing a black shirt and dark pants; she was going to change into her dress at Roshi's house.

"Well," Videl sighed, as she smelled her wrists, "I think that's it. Everyone ready to go?"

"I think," Gohan replied, closing the door to the closet where the ironing board rested.

"I can't believe it," Pan said examining herself in the mirror. Videl came up beside her, smiling curiously.

"What?" She asked her daughter in a sweet voice.

"That I'd ever be happy to wear a dress," She motioned to her all black outfit, "I look like I'm going to a funeral, not a wedding."

Gohan chuckled from around the corner, "You do look a bit gloomy in that."

Pan swirled around to give her mother a sharp look, "See?"

Her mother gave her a reassuring grin, "You only have to wear the thing for thirty minutes tops," She turned and checked her purse, "You'll be rehearsing in your dress."

"WHY?" Pan now regretted saying she wanted to wear the dress.

"You've never wore a dress," Videl said with a small stern look, "We have to rehearse with it on, so you can learn how to move around in it."

Pan stared at her mother with a dumbfounded, but didn't feel surprised for some reason, and then turned to her dad, "Is she _serious_?"

"I'm afraid so," Gohan said giving her a peck on the cheek as he grabbed his good black coat from the closet, "Don't worry, sweet pea, it'll be okay." He moved ahead of her and grasped Videl's arm. His wife smiled warmly at him as she opened up the door to the outside. The sun shone brightly in their eyes.

"Ready to go, Pan?" Videl said with a chipper voice.

"As ready as I'm going to be," Pan said with a slightly exasperated voice, as she followed them out the door and into the sun.

Chi Chi ran through the house, clad in her finest pale pink kimono, her black hair up in a sleek bun with a few thin white hairs hanging out by her forehead. Normally, Chi Chi would have swatted them away, but she had no time for such things now. Not when Goten was there and a wedding was on the agenda.

"Son, at least _try _to comb it!" Chi Chi begged, as she ran a comb through her son's black hair. Unfortunately, the comb only went halfway through one brushstroke, before getting stuck in the midst of his hair. Chi Chi let out a loud sigh, "Oh good heavens!"

"Moooom," Goten said in a slightly whiny and impatient voice, "My hair is fine. We're going to be late!"

"Oh really?" Chi Chi's eyes lit up with anger, "And just who was it a second ago that was taking FOREVER to get ready?"

Goten recoiled, "Well, I'm ready to go now, so what does it matter?"

"Not with that hair," Chi Chi said as she tried to yank the brush out of his hair. "It's your wedding day...you can at least look decent!"

"He looks fine," The voice came from Suno, who was standing at the doorway dressed in a turquoise skirt and jacket, with a large purple brooch in the shape of a flower pinned to her jacket. "It's _his _wedding day, not _yours_. If he says he looks fine, let him go."

Chi Chi glared at Suno, but didn't say anything. Frost entered the room, dressed in black dress pants with a white snap front shirt that looked very oriental. He gave Goten a simple smile, one the Demi-Saiyan hadn't seen from the boy hardly at all.

"Nervous?" Frost said with a casual tilt to his head. Goten shook his head with a smile,

"No way," He said as Chi Chi yanked the comb out of his hair. "_OWWW_!!!"

"There," Chi Chi said triumphantly, as she laid the brush down beside her. "Now, your hair is still bad," She said, more to herself than to anyone, "But it'll do...I guess," She scanned his head with doubt in her voice.

Suno reached over and quickly parted Frost's hair, to which he merely stared at her, and sighed, "There, that'll do."

Chi Chi glared at the red head, "Well...I wish _my _son had perfect hair like _that_," She glared.

Suno turned around and surprisingly smiled warmly, "Oh don't worry, it's not always perfect. This is just a good day."

Frost gave Goten a slightly apologetic look, but Goten merely grinned.

"Mom," he said, his eyes still on the embarrassed Frost, "Let's get going to the rehearsal. We're going to be late."

"Fine," Chi Chi said quickly, her eyes flaring. "You take forever to get ready, and all of a sudden, we're just ready to go..." She rambled on as she strutted out the door, her black purse swinging swiftly in rhythm with her steps.

Suno turned to Goten, "You're mother is something else," She said with a casual grin.

Goten shook his head, "You have no idea..."

Frost gave Goten a grin that signaled he understood what he meant, "Heh, I bet."

The Demi-Saiyan looked at Frost oddly for a moment; he'd never heard the boy talk so casually. Suno gave her son a sharp glance, and Frost headed out of the house following Chi Chi. Suno turned and gave Goten an apologetic look,

"I'm sorry if he was out of line--"

"No, no!" Goten shook his head with a startled look, "Your son is more than welcome to act like that around me!" He grinned to reassure Suno, who smiled warmly at the gesture.

"I see," She smiled, but made no further inclination about the subject. "Well," She sighed, "Ready to go to that wedding today?"

Goten felt a small jerk in his stomach, but held back the urge to sway in the dizziness of his mind, "As ready as I'll ever be!" He managed, following Suno out the door.

"I don't think I can do this," Marron said feebily as the car jumped down the road. Krillin suddenly shot his wife a nervous glance as he slowed the car down and pulled off to the side of the road.

As the car came to a rest, 18 leaned back and placed her hand on Marron's shoulder. Marron had her head between her legs, shaking slightly.

"What on earth do you mean you can't do this?" 18 patted her shoulder. "Snap out of it; you're going to be fine."

"Let her go," Krillin said softly, "It's probably wedding day jitters, that's all..."

"But she shouldn't have any jitters," 18 said with a frown to her husband, before slowly lifting her daughter's head up with her hand. "Marron, you have nothing to be nervous about."

"I wasn't...I wasn't nervous before," Marron said, holding back a dry sob, "But now...I don't know...what if everything goes horribly and then the wedding guests get upset and then," Her voice started to speed up hysterically, "And then you get mad and all the parents start to fuss andthen Idon'tknowwhattodo andthenGotendecideshedoesn'twanttomarryme--"

"_HOLD IT_," 18 said loudly, silencing Marron. "First of all, no matter what happens," She slowly peered into her daughter's blue eyes, "Nothing is going to happen to you, even if the wedding becomes a disaster--"

"Which it won't," Krillin added, but 18 shut him up with a stone cold glance.

"Even if it does, that won't matter to us...and if anyone gets upset by it, let them be." 18 said soothingly.

"But--But---" Marron said in a weepy voice.

"What? Don't you think Goten loves you with all he has inside him?" 18 said with an odd glance.

"Well, yes," Marron sighed, "But this is just all so soon..."

"It's too late to call this all off now," The Android said with a small smile, "But it's better this way...trust me."

"Really?" Marron wiped her eyes.

"Of course. You two love each other, and this is right," 18 gripped her daughter's hand, "You just have to convince yourself that this is right...which it is. Understand?"

Marron gave her mom a guilty smile, "Not really."

Krillin laughed out loud, "Just trust yourself! Goten isn't going to leave you for anything!" He started the car up again.

"Your father's," 18 gave her husband a surprisingly amused look, "Right for once. He loves you and nothing will change that."

"Okay," Marron took a deep breath and smiled despite the jerky feeling that lingered in her stomache, "That was stupid...me being nervous..."

"It wasn't dumb," 18 smiled warmly and winked, "It happens to us all."

"No more nervousness, Marron," Krillin smiled and pointed, "We're almost there!"

Marron looked on the horizon and saw the white house with the red painted letters on the side of it and in that moment, a great deal of her nerves were calmed. She gave her parents a curious glance, and saw they were smiling at her with pride and joy in their faces. Marron leaned back in her seat and let out a long deep sigh. Perhaps they were right...maybe this wouldn't be as bad as she thought it was going to turn out. _Maybe_.

_**8:37 AM**_

"Where on earth are they?" 18 checked her watch as Krillin carried the final load of bags into Roshi's house. Marron stood outside in the breeze with her arm crossed, wind blowing through their hair. Gohan and Videl had just landed a few minutes earlier and were conversing with 18. Pan was beside Marron, tugging at her black outfit.

"You look cute," Marron said politely to Pan.

The girl scoffed, "Thanks for trying to be nice, but it won't work. I know this looks ridiculous."

"What are you talking about?" Marron examined her over.

"I look terrible," Pan said angrily, "And now I have to wait before I get my dress on!" She crossed her arms in a manner that matched Marron's and pouted beside her. Marron smiled slightly, finding the situation Pan was in upsetting, but yet somewhat humorous.

Videl glanced at the pair before turning back to 18, "Maybe Pan should go ahead and get dressed."

"Why? The wedding's not until noon," 18 said with a cool stare.

"She needs to rehearse in her dress, doesn't she?" Gohan asked with a raised eyebrow.

"She'll be fine," Krillin answered, coming up from behind 18. "No one else is dressing to practice."

"She'll probably get sand all over her dress within an instant of being out here with it on," 18 added, her eyes scanning her watch again.

"Oh," Videl sighed with slight disappointment, then turned to see Pan, "Dear, you won't be changing into your dress anymore!"

Pan's eyes were on fire, "WHAT? HOW COME?"

"You're not rehearsing with the dress on anymore," Gohan replied.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS!" Pan said kicking the sand, and looking crossly towards Marron, "Of all the nerve! I could have dressed casually like you!" Marron tried to give her a smile to cheer her up,

"Well, at least you look cute!"

"Shut up," Pan huffed and turned from her. Trunks and Vegeta exited the Roshi house as she turned towards its door.

"What's your problem?" Trunks said with a casual grin, one eyebrow raised. Vegeta strolled away from them towards a palm tree and sat down beside it, his arms crossed defiantly. It was obvioius this was the last place he wanted to be at.

"I don't get to wear that stupid dress until the wedding now," Pan said with a bitterness to her voice.

"I figured that would make you happy," Trunks said with a smile as Bra and Bulma walked out of Roshi's house and towards Gohan and Videl, Bulma's eyes narrowing as she saw Trunks and Pan talking. Bra approached Videl with a smirk,

"Why haven't we started this rehearsal yet? I want to see this," She gave Marron a grin.

18's eyes narrowed at Bra, but Videl just sighed, "My brother-in-law hasn't arrived yet."

"What do you mean?" Bulma came across Bra, "Goten's not here? But he's the groom!"

"Thanks for enlightening us," 18 said with a soft sarcastic snap, "We know. I don't know why he's late, but he is."

"That's Goten for you," Bra snickered, and walked towards where her father was sitting.

"Oh well," Bulma sighed heavily, "He'll be here shortly." She patted a clipboard that was clad in her arms, "I have all the preparations on this schematic," She said pointing to a notepad on the clipboard. "The caterers will be here shortly with the food to set up, and I have a layout of Roshi's house on here, so we can all see where everything stored in the house is located at."

Gohan and Videl beamed, "Bulma, you're amazing," Gohan smiled. "Why didn't we have her set up our wedding?"

"Because dad had to hire that bimbo of a planner to do it," Videl said with a slightly twisted smile.

"Oh, yeah," Gohan said with a small sigh.

"Thank you, Bulma," 18 said with a curtious bow of her head, checking the watch again.

"You are most certainly welcome," Bulma smiled, "Of course, I also have parking arrangements, and four men back on shore I called in to help park cars," She pointed to the shore, where four distant figures waved back. The three looked stunned back at Bulma, who was rambling on, "And then I arranged a private helicopter to come by after the couple are pronounced and toss down white rose petals from the sky."

"Are you serious?" Videl said in awe.

"Of course," Bulma smiled slyly, "I thought it would be a nice touch."

"You're insane," Gohan said in awe as well, "Bulma that is incredible!"

"Eh," 18 shrugged, "Sounds a little overdone for me, but oh well...It's your money, Bulma."

Bulma didn't dare reply, but she knew that 18 was merely jealous of all the work she'd put into this...and that was fine. It'd make things even better when her _own _daughter was married and the ceremony was even _grander_ than that...or that was her plan, anyway.

Lunch and Tien came out of Roshi's house along with Choazu, the small doll-like companion of Tien. Lunch, who's hair was currently blonde and fierce appearing, tossed Chaozu a small capsule, which when he dropped became a full scale piano. The small creature sat at the piano and started warming up his music, as Tien and Lunch watched.

"I didn't know he played piano," Videl whispered to Gohan, who looked as amazed as she did.

"There they are!" Marron's voice called out, and everyone on the island looked towards the shore to see a red convertivle pull into the grass on the side of the road. From the island, the group could make out four people taking off from the land towards them.

Trunks smiled, "Better late than never, I guess."

"You said it," Pan said with a casual grin.

At that moment, Yvonne, clad in a purple sundress, came running out of the house and to Trunks' side.

"What is it?" The Demi-Saiyan asked with some hesitance.

Yvonne wiped the sweat from her face, "There's creepy old man in there hittin' on me!" She said with a disturbed voice.

Trunks smiled, "Ah, that's just Roshi," He said in a relieved voice. Yvonne stared dumbstruck at him.

"Yeah," Pan added, "He stares at all the girls like that...he even tries to grab some of them by the butt," She added to that with a smirk.

Yvonne gasped, "And you're all okay with that?"

"What else do you want us to do?" Trunks asked, as if she had a good answer, which she didn't.

Before she could answer, Goten, who was holding Chi Chi, and Frost, who was holding Suno, landed on the island. 18 came rushing towards them, her face annoyed to say the least.

"Where have you been? The rehearsal is now twenty minutes late!"

"Well, if mother," Goten shot Chi Chi a dirty look, "Hadn't been so nitpicky--"

"ME?" Chi Chi laughed harshly, "If you had actually taken a decent ten minute shower--"

"Hush!" 18 said angrily, "It doesn't matter! Let's get into position and practice! Hurry, before the minister arrives, let's at least have some sort of platform movement down." She said as the group hopped into place. Roshi, who'd came out of the house to see this, motioned for Yvonne to come and sit beside him to watch. The dark skinned woman hesitantly took a seat beside him, disgust written all over her face.

As the warriors and women got into position, Chaozu started playing a tune on the piano. The wedding anthem was clear and melodious as the bridesmaids started their way down the sandy aisle; Pan first with Trunks, and then Lunch and Tien. They separated in front of Goten and went their separate ways. Marron followed slowly behind them, pretending to carry a bouquet.

"That looks wonderful, you guys!" Videl cheered. Bulma smiled approvingly, but didn't say anything, her eyes focused intently on Pan and Trunks as they walked down the aisle.

"Aw," Bra said coldly, with an evil smirk, "Look, daddy, Trunks found himself a lady." She knew that Bulma didn't approve of Trunks hanging around Pan, and found the whole event hilarious, even though she knew Trunks had no intimate feelings to speak of for Pan.

"Hmmph," Vegeta said with a sigh, his eyes shut as he leaned against the palm tree.

"Huh," Bra sighed with a frown, "You're no fun."

"Hey Trunks," Goten whispered to Trunks as he and Tien stood on his left side, "Who's the girl by Roshi? Is she his new maid?"

"No," The Demi-Saiyan sighed, "That's my date."

"What, you're joking," Goten said with a crooked smile, as Videl complimented them again.

"I wish," Trunks said as Yvonne waved at him. He waved back reluctantly.

"Why? Is she that bad?"

"It's just...," Trunks sighed, "Mom wants me to date her, but she's so...clingy...and I think she's just dating me because my grandfather is a millionaire."

"Well, what other reason does she have?" Goten chuckled and Trunk elbowed him in the ribs.

"Okay," 18 stood up and in the midst of the group, "That was better than expected. Goten, Marron...do you know your vows?" She turned to the two, and they both smiled.

"How could we not?" Marron smiled. 18 nodded her head in understanding,

"Okay then. We'e going to run it another time or two, and then I want the bride, groom, bridesmaids, and groomsmen to head inside and start getting ready," She checked her watch again, "It's already quarter after nine."

"What do you need us to do?" Videl said with a slight frown.

"Bulma and I are going to make sure the food gets set up, because that's the major thing," 18 said slowly.

"Vegeta, Gohan, and Krillin can set up Roshi's house, since the reception is in there," Bulma added to 18's statement.

"Right, and Videl," 18 looked towards Chi Chi, "You and Chi Chi can help get everyone situated."

"Okay," The mother and daughter-in-law said together.

Roshi came up slowly from behind 18, his eyes looking slightly fearful, "And what about me?"

The Android glared at him for a moment, and then her eyes lit up, "Roshi...you know what? You can keep Yvonne and Bra company until the wedding starts."

Roshi's face turned pink, and his nose was showing a slight trace of a nosebleed.

Bra jumped from the palm tree towards 18 and her mother, "I don't think so! I'm going to go get Uub!" She said, grabbing the keys to the Capsule Corp hover craft and taking off.

Yvonne gave the Android a fleeting look, "Uh, isn't there something I could help with?"

"Don't worry," Roshi said, a hungry look in his eye, "I have plenty of things we can do! You see, there's these swimsuits...," And he led her inside the house, as Yvonne looked back towards the group with a fearful stare. Marron and Goten waved to her as they shut the door to the Roshi house behind them, and Trunks, though he didn't dare wave, was somewhat relieved for the moment of peace.

_**9:34 AM**_

****18 checked her watch for what seemed like the millionth time, as Bulma came up beside her, her clipboard still in hand.

"I just checked, and the men are getting the tables set up wonderfully," Bulma wiped some sweat off her forehead, "The minister's arrived; Videl and Chi Chi are seeing to him at this moment, and things are looking on schedule," She noticed 18's worried expression, "What is it?"

"The food," 18 said, looking around, "The food isn't here yet."

"Oh, pish posh," Bulma said with a smile, "It'll be here in a little bit. The caterers probably had a spot of trouble getting here, that's all."

"I hope you're right," 18 said, turning towards Roshi's house. "We're already off schedule."

"Quit worrying so much," Bulma said cheerfully, "They'll be here shortly."

_**9:50 AM**_

****Krillin and Gohan looked at each other and nodded their heads in approval. The tables were all set up in the house to accomodate for the mass amount of food that was to arrive. Roshi's countertop in his kitchen was lined with alcohol of every color, smell, and taste, along with some sodas for those too young to drink or that didn't consume alcohol. The two nodded their heads again with approval.

"Looks good," Krillin said with a puff of pride in his chest, and he gazed at the blue streamers lining the ceiling.

"Likewise," Gohan replied, turning to Vegeta, who was staring at the two as if they were morons, "What do you think, Vegeta?"

The Saiyan tilted his head and looked at the streamers, tables, liquor, confetti sprinkled on the tables, and the lights set up. "Looks decent," Then he smirked wide, "But one problem."

The two gave him an incredulous look, "What are you saying?"

"There's no food," Vegeta smiked evilly. And the two realized he was right.

The three men walked outside to find Videl and Chi Chi chatting with the minister, Bulma giving Uub a quick hug of welcome, as he and Bra had just arrived. Krillin didn't dare say anything, but he felt his eyes scan Uub quickly from beside him and made a scoff. 18, on the other hand, looked like she was about to have a nervous breakdown.

Krillin stepped forward towards his wife, "Hey, 18, how are things going out--"

"_HORRIBLY_!" 18 said in an anxious yell. Vegeta and Gohan's eyes widened slightly. "Terrible! The food is NOWHERE in sight, the guests are going to arrive soon, one of the men in charge of parking just got sick, the minister's starting to get a sore throat, I don't even know if everyone inside is getting ready, and in a second if that food doesn't come, _I'M GOING TO LOSE MY MIND!!!!"_

She breathed heavily and gave her husband a threatening look. "Uh," Krillin smiled uneasily, "That sounds good."

"Argh," 18 raised her hands up in the air and walked away.

"I'll go call the catering service," Gohan said, walking towards Bulma to get the number. Krillin wiped his forehead and looked towards Vegeta hesitantly. To his surprise the Saiyan was smirking.

"What are you happy about?" Krillin asked with a slight snap to his voice.

Vegeta tilted his head sideways and looked around smugly, "I'm getting thorough amusement from seeing this wedding go down the drain," He said with a grin. Krillin's face was red.

"Why? This is supposed to be the best day of their lives and you want it to go bad?"

"If this is supposed to be the best day of their lives," Vegeta said with a small frown, "Then they deserve it to go bad." And to this he walked away, leaving a very confused and dumbstruck Krillin in the sand by his angry wife.

_**10: 11 AM**_

****Gohan ran out of the house, a panicked and distressed look on his face. He approached Bulma, who was setting up chairs for guests, along with Suno, Videl, and Chi Chi. Gohan wiped the sweat from his forehead and gave Bulma a very unsettling look.

"Uh...Can I talk to you alone for a second, Bulma?" Gohan said with a squeamish voice.

The blue-green haired woman stood up and gave him a curious smile. "Okay," She said and followed him away from the group. "What is it?"

"Well," Gohan cleared his throat, "I got through to the caterers," He said with a grimace.

"Yes," Bulma said with a smile, "And?" She suddenly realized how upset he looked, "Gohan what is it?"

"It's the wedding food...It's..." He looked mortified.

"They got the wrong directions, didn't they?" Bulma said with a sad stare.

"No," Gohan said and his face reddened, "Bulma...you told them that the wedding was to be catered on the 14th, didn't you?"

Bulma thought for a moment, and then she nodded, "Yes, that's what I told them, why?"

Gohan's face paled, "Bulma...today is the 13th."

"Well, I know that but--" Suddenly her face turned whiter than his, "Oh no..."

"They're not bringing the food today," Gohan said with a slight hint of anger, "The twenty tables worth of food is coming tommorrow."

"Oh no, oh no, _oh no," _Bulma's hands went to her cheeks, "But--Didn't you ask them to ship it today?"

"Yes," Gohan said shakily, "But they're doing another wedding today. They can't."

"So what did you do?" Bulma said with a frown.

"I had to cancel the catering...all that food would have gone to waste."

"_What are we going to do?" _Bulma was on the verge of yelling, her face was so red.

"What are _who _going to do?" 18 came up beside them, her face curious. Bulma and Gohan looked more frightened then ever at this.

"Nothing," Gohan said quickly, "I just need to borrow Bulma for a minute to come and look at the decorations that we set up!" He grabbed Bulma's arm and led her quickly inside the house. 18 was about to follow them, when Chi Chi asked her to come look at the chair arrangements.

"This is bad!" Bulma said as soon as they were inside, "If she finds out we're dead! She'll go insane!"

"Who will?" Krillin said as he and Vegeta came up beside them.

"The food's not coming today," Gohan said quickly.

"_WHAT_?" Vegeta and Krillin said in surprise unison. Krillin looked scared, while Vegeta had a clearly amused face.

"Look, we can't let 18 know this," Bulma leaned in towards them, "Or anyone for that matter." She turned to Gohan, "You and Vegeta go and get as much food as you can," She handed Gohan her credit card from her purse, "While me and Krillin distract her."

"As much food as we can get?" Gohan said, fumbling nervously with the credit card.

"Yes," Bulma smiled slightly.

"Why do I have to go with Kakarot's brat?" Vegeta sneered, giving Gohan a dirty stare, to which Gohan flashed one of his own.

"Because I said so, Vegeta!" Bulma said with an angry frown, "Now get over yourself and go get food!" She sent them flying out the back door of Roshi's house, and the two flew off immediately, neither looking too happy with one another.

Krillin sighed and looked at Bulma, "This is a disaster," He said with a frown.

"Ah," Bulma tried to smile, "It can't get much worse than this."

_**10:25 AM**_

"Okay," Bulma sighed and leaned her head over the side of the house, trying to get a glimpse of 18. "Let's see how things are going outside."

"I just got done talking to Gohan," Krillin said nervously, his arm gripped on hers beside her. "He said they made it to the store alright."

"As long as they get the food back here shortly, I don't care what happens to either of them," Bulma said with a mix of impatience and nervousness that matched Krillin's.

The two looked over towards where 18 stood, which was also where the guests were arriving at. It was easy to see that 18 was not only angry, but she also seemed so tense, the two thought at any given second she'd explode. Several guests were stopping and asking her a question, to which she seemed to almost scream an answer at them, but Bulma and Krillin couldn't make out her reply. Bulma shot Krillin a nervous look.

"I wonder if people are noticing there's no food yet."

Krillin gave her a scared expression, "My guess is that they have...judging by the way 18's eyes are about to pop out of her head."

"Those two had better get back with that food soon," Bulma sighed, trying to ignore the fact that the Android seemed on the verge of spontaneous combustion.

"No kidding," Krillin said, afraid that sooner or later, Bulma would send him to deal with his wife, which was not particularly what he wanted at the moment.

Meanwhile, in the house, Trunks and Goten were getting their tuxes out of the plastic bags, ready to put them on.

Goten took a deep breath as he stared down at the tuxedo. Trunks gave him a curious glance,

"Getting sick two hours before the wedding isn't a good thing," He mused.

Goten's faced paled, but not in a sick manner, "I'm not sick, man...just...nervous."

Trunks frowned slightly, "You were the one that asked her to marry you and _you're _nervous? Think how she's feeling!"

The Demi-Saiyan stared at his best friend and realized he was right, "I had never thought of it that way...you're right Trunks," He smiled, as his face grew less and less pale. "I'm getting married...why should I be nervous?" He unzipped the plastic bag containing his tuxedo.

"There you go," Trunks smiled, "That's more like it; that's more like the Goten I know," He said patting his best friend on the back as he unzipped his carrying bag as well.

In another room down the hall, Marron looked flushed as she leaned over Roshi's bed, holding her stomache.

"I'm going to be sick," She repeated over and over again, clutching her side, "I'm going to be sick."

"Why on earth," Pan's voice shot out from behind the closed bathroom door, "Are you going to be sick? It's your wedding!"

"Exactly," Marron said with a tinge of bitterness in her voice, "All the more reason to be nervous...and sick," She tried to balance herself on the bed, and her eyes focused on her wedding dress, which was still hanging in front of her, the plastic loose just enough so she could see the lacy torso of it.

"Why should you be nervous?" Pan said with a curious level to her voice.

"Why?" Marron's head shot up and looked towards the bathroom door with disbelief, "Because I could make a fool of myself going down the aisle, trip on my own shoes, fall facefirst next to the minister, forget my vows, say the wrong line, Goten could change his mind--"

"Hold it," Pan's voice suddenly had a snap to it; Marron went silent, "First of all, you are not nearly as clumsy as me in heels and I've practiced walking in them...if I can do it, you can." There was a pause. "Second, if you fall in the aisle, just get back up!" There was another pause, and Marron took this chance to speak.

"You're right, Pan..." Her voice trailed on, sadness still inherent there.

"Third, Goten asked you to marry him!" Pan's voice sounded slightly incredulous, "Chances are, he's not going to take back the vow! So quit worrying!" Pan's voice rang out, and Marron straightened in her seat, "You're right...I've been silly," the blonde said, forcing a smile, which made her feel better.

"Course I'm right," Pan said in a highly bragging voice, when suddenly she stopped short and let out a gasp. Marron stared at the door.

"Is everything alright?" She asked, and there was a long pause from the other side of the bathroom.

"I--I--uhm, no not really," Pan's voice was now shaky and had lost all of its braggart sway, "Uhm..."

Marron came to the front of the door, "What do you mean? Do you need any hel--"

"NO!" Pan screamed, then her voice calmed, "I mean, I'm fine...really!"

Marron gave the door a stern look, "Yeah, right...just let me see, Pan--"

"Seriously! It's fine," Now Pan was holding the doorknob so she couldn't open the door.

"PAN! Open this door now!" Marron was starting to get angry.

"No! It's fine! I can...handle...this," Pan said slowly, as she forced the door shut.

"Pan," Marron sighed, leaning on the door frame, "If you don't let me in there, I'm going to go get Videl and she can help you."

The door slowly opened up, Pan facing Marron with her hands behind her back, looking nervous and pale, but not afraid. "I don't want that," She said, and her voice was as shaky as she was white in the face.

"Good," Marron said with a small smile, stepping into the bathroom. Pan was in her dark dress, which looked plain but pretty on her, but her hands were clutching her backside. "Now what's the problem?"

Pan blushed and slowly turned around. Marron's eyes grew huge as she saw the huge rip that went from the bottom of Pan's dress up to the zipper around her waist. Pan's hands were the only thing holding the dress together.

Marron took a long collective breath, "Well...this _is _a problem."

_**10:34 AM**_

****"Okay," Gohan said with slight uncertainty as he placed the four pallets of rice cakes onto the fork lift, the driver of it staring at him as if he was insane. Vegeta snorted in disgust as Gohan adjusted his glasses on his nose and gave the driver a nervous grin, "That's four of those...where are the Raman noodles and soysauce at?"

"D--d--down there," The driver said with a quivering finger. Gohan smiled and gave him the thumbs up.

"Thanks, we'll go there next!" To this the driver took off in the direction he'd said the items were in, as Gohan stared at the Saiyan next to him. "After we get this, we'll already have almost ten tables worth of food!" He sounded rather pleased.

"Pff," Vegeta snorted, "This is pathetic. Just grab some crates of food and let's go!"

"We want to be sure we get something edible for everyone," Gohan said with a stern look.

The Saiyan smirked at him with smug disgust, "This coming from a _great warrior_," he said in a mock tone. Gohan flushed,

"Just shut up, Vegeta. I don't like this anymore than _you _do," And this comment raised the Saiyan prince's eyebrows as they proceeded to where the fork lift was waiting for them.

Meanwhile, back in Roshi's bedroom...

"Okay, hold on!" Marron rummaged through Roshi's closet, her eyes growing more desperate as she fumbled through clothes and other oddities she didn't care to know about at the moment. Pan stood behind her, wrapped in a white towel, looking more nervous than Marron.

"What are we going to do? That dress is ruined...I warned the woman it was too small...," Pan's voice trailed off.

"It's going to be fine," Marron assured her. "We just have to find some thread, and I'll fix the dress real quick--"

"You're going to sew all that back up?" Pan looked in disbelief at her dress, her voice doubtful, "That'll take too long."

"And what else do you have in mind?" Marron said with a very agitated look on her face. Pan shrunk for a moment, then saw something in Roshi's closet that caught her attention.

"Hold on," Pan said in a distant voice, shoving Marron lightly aside and pulling out the item that had caught her stare. Pan pulled out a slender blue dress that was almost the same color as her bridesmaid one, but was more sparkling and obviously for an older woman. "What about this?"

"What about it?" Marron said with a concerned tone, looking at the dress in slight disgust; she didn't even want to _think _about what had been in it.

"I could wear this," Pan pointed to the dress, "Instead of my ripped one! No one would know!"

"You're mom would know," Marron said slowly, examining the dress with a crooked frown, "This may not fit you...right," She said, glancing down at Pan, who looked hopeful.

"Yeah, mom would know," Pan said with an eager grin, but none of the crowd would! And we don't have time to fix the other one!" Her voice was slightly whiny as she pointed to the ripped dress on the bathroom floor.

"Well...," Marron didn't like this idea at all, but the more she thought about it, the more it was starting to sound plausible.

"Hello?" A sudden knock came to the door of Roshi's room. Pan nearly fell over as she stuffed the dress in the bathroom quickly into the clothes hamper and tried to look normal. Marron casually closed the closet and went to the door, trying to not look extremely nervous; how she felt.

"Yes?" Marron opened the door barely, and saw Bulma looking at her. She looked tense,

"Why aren't you in your dress? And," Her eyes suddenly saw Pan in the towel, "Why isn't SHE dressed?"

"We're," Marron smiled nervously, "Working on it. It'll be a few more minutes before I'm ready for you all to come in--"

"That's just it!" Bulma said angrily, "We don't have time! I have to go and keep 18--I mean," She paused and smiled falsely, "Help 18 keep control of the situation outside. You'll have to have Pan help you with your dress," She paused and sighed, "Unfortunately."

Marron secretly breathed a breath of relief; they were in luck, "Okay...what's the situation?"

"The food's not here yet, the people are getting ancy, and another valet is missing," Bulma rumaged her purse and saw her wrist communicator she'd placed in there was buzzing loudly. "That would be your father needing help controlling your mom...I'm sorry," She glanced back at Pan, "This is the best I can do at the moment."

"It's fine," Marron said with a lot less nervousness than before, "We can handle it!"

"You sure?" Bulma gave a nervous glance towards Pan, who scowled.

"We're fine," Marron reassured her, "You better go help keep mom in check, the way it sounds, anway."

Bulma nodded and slowly the door shut behind her. Marron quickly glanced to Pan, who looked slightly unnerved.

"I have to help you with your wedding dress?"

"Looks that way," Marron rubbed her hands together and stared at the clock on the wall. "Okay, we have a little more than an hour to get ready...I say we do things as quickly as possible...starting with this dress." She stared at the blue sparkly dress and realized they had no choice. "I guess it'll have to work." And she sat down on the bed and started getting the dress situated for Pan.

**_10:55 AM_**

****"Okay, that's everything," Gohan finally said, his face red and sweaty as he tugged at his crimson tie around his neck. Vegeta grunted and crossed his arms with relief, "I can't believe how fast we got that done!"

"Thank Kami," He muttered as the driver slowly toted the very full fork lift of items back to the large mass of food they'd accumulated over the course of their trip. "It usually takes Bulma hours to shop for food...this was much better." He would have killed himself if he'd have to spend any much longer with Kakarrot's brat.

"No kidding," Gohan pulled out Bulma's credit card and ran it over to the register that was not far from them. "I think that's enough for twenty tables."

Vegeta gave a sharp glance towards the pile, which had everything from rice and shrimp to Barbequed Pork Loin sizzlers to something he'd never had before called Make-Your-Own Baked Alaska, which looked like a fluffy white cake accompanied by instructions and a match box.

He scanned the instructions on the box quickly, "You light the cake on fire?" He asked curiously as Gohan handed the woman at the register Bulma's card.

Gohan chuckled at the Saiyan's curiosity, "Yeah, it's neat how it looks when you light it up."

Vegeta did not let on, but he was smirking to himself as he eyed the cake; they had just bought fourteen flammable hazards in the forms of cake. _This will definately be a memorable occasion...mark my words, _Vegeta said slowly to himself, trying to not let Gohan in on his thoughts. However, Gohan wasn't paying any attention to Vegeta at the moment.

"What do you mean it's maxed out?" Gohan said nervously. The Saiyan behind him raised an eyebrow.

"That's what I said," The girl at the register said innocently. "You've purchased ten thousand dollars worth of food, and there's only nine left on this card." She said with a sad hint to her voice.

"Well," Gohan didn't like this at all. "We'll just deduct a thousand dollars worth of food...how hard should that be?"

The woman gave him an incredulous look, "We've _never _had someone purchase this _much _food here before. I have no idea how long it will take," Her words were slow and slightly amazed; as if she couldn't believe she was telling someone this.

"How much longer are we going to be here?" Vegeta asked angrily from behind Gohan's shoulder. He was sick of this whole wedding business already, and it hadn't even started yet!

A much paler Gohan looked back at the Saiyan and shook his head, "Honestly, I don't know."

**_10:58 AM_**

****"Okay," 18's fists were shaking, and sweat was starting to mix with her foundation as she cornered her husband around the edge of the house. "What's the idea?"

"What's what idea?" Krillin was trembling.

"This is the fifth time I've tried to go into the house to check on things, and the fifth time you've kept me out here," She grabbed Krillin by the shirt collar and he squirmed just a bit, "_WHAT _is going on in there?"

"Nothing," Krillin lied through his teeth, "Everyone is getting finished getting dressed...that's all."

"Bull," The Android snapped and Krillin recoiled, "It's eleven O'Clock and you're telling me they're still getting ready?"

"That's what he said," Bulma had suddenly appeared from around the corner of the house and was at Krillin's side. The earthling breathed a sigh of relief as 18 loosened her grip on his shirt.

"Why aren't they ready yet?" 18 was much more calm around Bulma, but she still had fire in her voice and eyes.

"They, uhm," Bulma paused for a second.

"They want to make sure they're looking their best!" Krillin cut in, and Bulma gave him a warm thank-you-for-saving-my-skin smile.

18's expression softened a bit, "Oh...well, we still have an hour."

Videl and Chi Chi appeared suddenly from around the corner as well. "Hey," Videl smiled, looking slightly exhausted but still calm. "Are we having some sort of meeting here or what?"

"Not really," 18 sighed, "How are the guests?"

"Despite the two valets sneaking off and one passing out from dehydration," Chi Chi said in a flustered voice, "Everyone's almost situated."

"Wonderful," The Android and Bulma said together.

"But, I was wondering," Videl said curiously, looking around, "Where's the food?"

Bulma and Krillin looked suddenly at each other with a fearful look; they'd just managed to get 18's mind off the food.

The Android went red in the face, "WHERE IS THE FOOD?!? THAT'S RIGHT!" She spun around, facing Krillin and Bulma, "I THOUGHT--"

"The food's already here," Bulma said in an instant, which made Krillin almost fall over. "It's inside."

"WHAT?" Krillin and 18 said simultaneously.

"Oh," Videl said in a naive, understanding voice, nodding to Chi Chi, "See, told you they got it in."

"The guests have been wondering," Chi Chi said, her voice less than convinced.

"Well, thank heavens," 18 said with a grin, "I'll just go in and see how it turned--"

"**_NO!_**" Bulma and Krillin shouted together. 18 stopped and stared at them.

"I mean," Bulma lowered her voice, "I'll take Videl in there. She needs to check up on her daughter anyway...there's so many people in there, it'll be too crowded. You and Chi Chi can stay out here and keep the guests company, so they're not..."

"Disoriented," Krillin offered and Bulma nodded her head in unison.

"Exactly," She said, smiling another thankful grin.

"Well," 18 shook her head, "I guess it'll work that way. Tell me how it looks Videl!" She said with a slightly calmer expression and walked away with Chi Chi. Bulma and Krillin gasped as Videl stared at them.

"What's up with you two?" Videl raised an eyebrow.

"Should we tell her?" Krillin looked towards Bulma, who gave Videl a slightly suspicious look.

"Might as well," She said finally, and led Videl into the house Krillin following behind.

**_11:07_**

****Marron bent over across the bed slightly as Pan buttoned the top part of her dress. It looked stunning on her of course, but she suddenly felt odder than she'd ever before, now that the dress was actually on her. She stared at herself in the long mirror across from the bed and didn't even recognize the woman staring back at first. Or for that matter, the girl beside her helping to get her dress together.

The dress in Roshi's closet was beautiful, and although on an older woman it would probably seem erotic and trampy, on Pan's slightly boyish figure it looked gorgeous. The sparkling blue sequins danced in the light, and the color almost perfectly matched her original bridesmaid dress, but it was certainly...more sexier, the only word that came to Marron's mind, than the other dress.

Pan grinned as she stared at Marron, "That looks beautiful on you."

"Look who's talking," Marron giggled, "Well, let's get our shoes on and some makeup and we'll be ready to go!"

"Can you do mine," Pan said slowly as they walked towards the bathroom, their dress trains trailing behind them, "Since I'm not real good with makeup?"

"Certainly," Marron smiled warmly, as she followed Pan into the bathroom, makeup bag in hand.

Outside Roshi's room, in the living room, Goten and Trunks stood with Bulma, Krillin, and Videl, who looked beside herself. She had just found out that there was no food yet and it was on it's way. Lunch was on Tien's lap as they talked next to Chaozu, who was curiously watching Frost and Suno, trying to figure out what they were whispering to each other.

Bulma was now on the phone, trying to get ahold of the store Gohan and Vegeta were at. Trunks gave Goten a nervous glance, "I wonder what's taking them so long."

"I heard 18's about to flip," Goten said slowly, his face concerned.

Videl sighed and turned to Krillin, "I can't believe this...If 18 and Chi Chi find out--"

"They're not going to," Krillin reassured her, his eyes wide, "We'll make sure of that."

"What?" Bulma was yelling into the phone, "I didn't know it was maxed out! No! NO, I will NOT supply them with another card!"

"Hoo-boy," Krillin breathed nervously, "That doesn't sound good."

"I'm--I'm going to check on Pan and Marron," Videl said quickly, taking off down the hall.

"This is getting bad," Goten said nervously, and found he was twiddling his thumbs.

"Ah," Trunk sighed and patted his back. "It's alright. Just wedding bugs...it happens to everyone."

"I guess--"

"_EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKK_," The door beside them burst open, and out ran Yvonne in a yellow swimsuit, with Roshi hot on her heels. She collided with Trunks and grasped his arm, dragging him down to meet her fiery eyes. "What kind of place IS THIS?"

Trunks stared at her in shock, "What are you talking about Yvonne?" He glanced down and his face blushed, "And why are you dressed in that?" He almost wished he hadn't looked down, because he's seen more of her than he was used to yet.

"That creepy man!" Yvonne waved a finger at Roshi, whose nose was profusely bleeding, "He had me try on these swimsuits and was--was---going---was----ARGHHH!!!" She tossed a pillow from the nearby couch at the old man and he fell backwards next to Chaozu.

"That's kind of how he is," Tien said slowly, but Yvonne was focused on Trunks.

"He's right, Roshi's just an old pervert," The lavender haired Demi-Saiyan sighed with a small smile. But it was obvious that Yvonne did not find this funny.

"I KNOW he's a pervert!" She screamed at him, "I figured that out just--"

"I Can't believe this!" Videl erupted from Roshi's bedroom, her eyes on fire as much as Yvonne. Everyone turned towards her except Bulma, who was still shouting profanities into the phone.

"What now?" Goten asked curiously, "Is it Marron--"

"NO! Marron's fine," Videl fumed. "My daughter on the other hand...not the case!"

"Why?" Bulma asked quickly, placing a hand to the phone's receiver.

"She ripped her dress!" Videl said in a half-sob.

"**_WHAT?_**" Bulma eyes widened tremendously.

"How did that happen?" Lunch broke in, her violet hair on Tien's shoulder.

"I don't know," Videl sighed and let out a dry sob, "But she's got another dress on now..."

Goten stared at Videl, "How'd they get to the dress shop that fast--"

"They didn't go to the dress shop!" Videl roared, "They found...they found a dress in Roshi's closet--"

"SAY WHAT?" Goten's mouth dropped; as did Trunks'.

Krillin stared, "Roshi, why on earth," Then stopped and a sly smile appeared on his face, "Oh...I see now--"

"ROSHI'S CLOSET?" Bulma was screaming.

"It's probably mine," Lunch threw in, as she gave Tien a go-figure look.

Yvonne grabbed her hair in panic and forced Trunks to look back at her, her face red and sweating, "Trunks, we can't stay for this! I'm about to go insane!"

"What?" We can't just skip out on the wedding!" Trunks gave her a stern look, "I'm the best man!"

"I know, but we have almost an hour, let's leave," Yvonne tugged at his sleeve, "They can have Gohan or someone fill in for you."

Trunks slowly took her hand and made it release his sleeve. "I'm sorry," He looked her in the eye, "But this is my best friend's wedding. I'm not going to miss it for the world, much less this." He let go of her hand and she gave him a sour expression.

"_FINE!" _She screamed and turned around so fast, her dark hair hit Trunks in the face.

Roshi gave her a hopeful look as she walked past, "You could always come sit by me for the wedding--"

She smacked him in the face so hard, Roshi fell back into Tien and Lunch, both of which looked slightly amused as Yvonne walked out the door without a word.

Goten came up beside Trunks, who looked slightly relieved, "You'd miss out on a girl like that for me and Marron?"

"You guys are my best friends...of course," The Demi-Saiyan smiled, "Besides, she was weird anyway. I think she only liked me for my money."

"Like I said before," Goten grinned, "What else is there to like, old friend?"

Bulma, who now seemed not only weary, but also depressed, held the receiver back to her face, "Yes...just get the food here as soon as you can, okay? We have less than half an hour before this thing gets on its way."

"I...I don't know what to do," Videl said in a confused and hopeless voice.

"We'll do the only thing we can do," Bulma said slowly, hanging the phone up, "We'll go with it." She turned to the others. "Groomsmen and groom, get in position, ready to walk out. Lunch, I'll send Pan out in a minute to stand with you. Krillin, you keep an eye out and make sure that 18 doesn't come in...and neither does Chi Chi. Videl and I will see that Marron's cleaned up and wait on Gohan and Vegeta to get here. Chaozu, get the piano tuned outside. And Roshi," She paused and gave him a sour and dirty look. "You've done enough! Get outside!"

"We'll go with him," Suno said suddenly, as her and Frost followed behind the old hermit walking out of the house; Krillin shutting the door behind them.

"And now," Bulma said slowly, as she added up all that was going wrong at this point, "Let's pray for a miracle."

_**Well, I originally wanted this to be in one chapter...but after writing all that, I realized that this part alone is 30 PAGES LONG on regular paper, so I had to split the wedding into two chapters...**_

_**Please don't be mad at me! I really wanted it in one! However, this little cliffhanger sets up for the BIG thing in the next chapter, where -Hopefully- our couple gets married! I hope this chapter wasn't a complete BORE FEST! I hope so anyway!**_

_**So next chapter, coming out within the next twenty-four to fourty-eight hours, and BEFORE CHRISTMAS, we wrap up these Cliffhangers: Will the food get there on time? Yvonne? Will 18 have a high speed come apart? Will our couple get married? and a special GUEST makes an appearance...Nuh, uh! Not telling on this one! You'll just have to wait and see! So, coming VERRRRRRY soon is the next chapter! I know you'll love it!**_

_**Thanks for everyone that has contributed so far to this story! You all have no idea how thankful I am! You truly don't! Thanks so much for the comments, reviews, and Private Messages. Remember, any of the three are welcome and recommended to help me write this story that without you all, would not even be possible! Thanks again! You all ROCK!**_

_**Peace out and ROCK ROCK ON!!!!!**_

_**Romania Black**_

****


	35. This Day We Called Our Wedding, Part Two

The Taming of the Saiyan

By Romania Black

_**Well everyone! This is it! Chapter 35! The wedding, part TWO! Not nearly as long as Chapter 34, but long enough I believe!**_

_**I hope all of you read Part One, because otherwise, you could be a little lost! heh heh, I SOOOOO wanted to get the wedding into one chapter, but the whole event was looking to be almost 50 PAGES on normal paper, so of course, I had to split it up. This of course, is my favorite part, but I'll leave that up to you to decide for sure!**_

**_As promised I got this to you before Christmas, and I hope it's a good present for you all! ha ha, trust me, if it's not, the NEXT Chapter will most certainly be a good late one! Heh heh, don't worry, the story DOES NOT end here...but this is what you could call the Climax I suppose...well, no...ha ha, I guess it's the SEMI-CLIMAX, because the Climax is yet to come and...well, I can't tell you that now! You'll just have to read and see! ha ha, but now, on with the SHOW! _**

_**Disclaimer: I own NOTHING of Akira Toriyama...but if he wishes to use any of my ideas...GO FOR IT! **_

_**Story Rated T for TEEN due to mild violence, brief language, alcohol references/consumption, and Mild Sexual Themes (Especially towards the end of this chapter, so younger viewers...YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! 66)**_

_**Reviews:**_

**_CheyaAngel: Wow! Haven't heard from you in FOREVER! Hope your computer's fixed! tee hee! Do you know who the guest is? Hmmm, you'll have to read and find out! ha ha, I hope this was an early enough update for you! LOL, thanks SO much for the review and enjoy the story:)_**

_**Wow, you all do not know how lucky I am to have you here as supporters of this fic...It really means a lot to me all the support I've received on this story! Thanks so much you guys! I LOVE YOU ALL!!!! Please don't hesitate to send me a comment or review on the story! You keep it going! Thank you all a hundred times over for your kindness and support! Peace out and rock rock on! Most importantly though, **_

_**Enjoy the Story!**_

_**Romania Black**_

Chapter Thirty-Five: This Day We Called Our Wedding, Part Two

**_11:37 AM_**

****"I can't _BELIEVE _how long that took," Gohan said in an angry tone, as he carried a large pallet of food on his back towards the island. Vegeta was not far behind him, with several pallets stacked on top of him.

"If that woman could just be a little more accurate on anything," Vegeta growled. "We could have saved so much time--"

"It doesn't matter now," Gohan groaned, "The wedding's about to start, and we're just now getting the food back to Roshi's!"

"Speaking of which," The Saiyan looked down towards the island with a curious look on his face. "How are we going to land with all this food and no one noticing?"

Gohan's jaw dropped, "Oh _wow_...I never thought of that!"

"Just to be safe," Vegeta couldn't believe he was even suggesting this, "We should stay in the clouds until we get to land, and then carry the food to Roshi's one pallet at a time, so we're not noticed."

The Demi-Saiyan stared at Vegeta for a moment, "That's actually a good idea, Vegeta!"

"Of course it is," The Prince of Saiyans snorted, "Since when have any of my ideas not been good?"

"Is Marron about ready to go?" Krillin asked nervously as he spotted Videl coming out of the room with Pan in tow.

"Almost," Videl sighed, "Bulma's finishing her makeup." Pan slowly eased beside Lunch, trying not to be noticed, but in her new dress, it was obvious she was going to get seen.

"Wow," Goten gazed at her oddly; she looked _very _different now than usual, "You look nice, Pan! Is that makeup?"

"Shut it," Pan snapped, and rubbed a little of the mascara off her eyes, "And yes, it is."

"Nice," Goten teased, examining the straps that now were barely hanging on her shoulders, "I wonder how many women have worn that dress here--"

"_SHUT IT_!" Pan said and raised a fist; Goten stepped back chuckling.

"_Pan_!" Videl breathed. Krillin gave Pan a curious look, while Trunks merely stared at her.

"Don't worry," Lunch smiled sincerely, "Trust me, no one's wore that dress, although Roshi asked me to a time or two."

Pan let out a small sigh, "See, Goten? It's good."

"I didn't say it wasn't," Goten smiled and elbowed Trunks jokingly. Trunks smiled back, but his thoughts were still lingering on Yvonne, who to all his knowledge had up and left.

**_11:40 AM_**

****"Now," 18 gave Chi Chi a small bit of paper, "This has the valet's money in it for today. Can you get it to them?"

"How?" Chi Chi said with an exasperated expression, "I can't just up and fly like you you know!"

The Android sighed and took the paper back, "Fine, I'll go give it to them. Just go in and tell the others we're going to start in a few minutes...finally," 18 said with an exhausted look and took off into the air, drawing the attention of several people, but none seemed to affected by it.

Chi Chi walked towards the door of Roshi's house, when she bumped into a dark skinned woman who looked furious. After a second, she realized that it was the girl Trunks had brought with him, Yvonne.

"I'm sorry, dear. Are you fine?" She asked, patting Yvonne, who threw her arm away in disgust.

"Get out of my way! I'm LEAVING this dump!" She screeched and stormed past the crowd towards a small hover copter that was waiting by the shore's edge. Chi Chi sighed and opened the door, looking towards Yvonne as she entered.

"Wow," Chi Chi turned towards Trunks and the others, who were staring at her in utter surprise and horror; Krillin had left the door for a second, but was now rushing to it as if a bomb was about to go off, "Trunks, was that girl you brought always that rude?"

Trunks blushed, "Is she leaving?"

"Leaving?" Chi Chi laughed, "She's already gone. What a rude spiteful person," She added, giving the door a nasty look, as if it was Yvonne.

Trunks sighed, "She wasn't like that when I met her..."

"Chi Chi!" Krillin gasped; "What are you doing here?"

"I came to get all of you ready! The wedding's in less than twenty minutes. Now where's Marron? I need to make sure she's ready most of all--"

"She's with Bulma," Krillin cut in, gently shoving Chi Chi back towards the door and away from the kitchen area, where the empty tables were set up at. "We've got it all taken care of...so maybe if you could go outside--"

"Wait," Chi Chi stared at the group, "Where's Gohan? And Vegeta?" She looked down at Krillin with a stern look, "Did they cut out on the group or what?"

Krillin gulped nervously as Bulma came out of the room, a confused look on her face, "What's going on--" She spotted Chi Chi and her face dropped. "OH! Chi Chi, what are you doing...in here?" She eyed Krillin evilly.

"Seeing what all this fuss is about!" Chi Chi was now getting frustrated. "Where's your husband and my son? How long have they been--" Suddenly her eyes came across the empty food tables. Chi Chi's mouth hung open as her eyes glanced from Bulma to Krillin to Videl to the others. "Where...is the food?"

"Well, ha ha ha," Krillin said, trying to sound cheerful, "That's just it, isn't it?"

"What?" Chi Chi stammered.

"Your son and Vegeta went to go get it," Bulma said, realizing there was no hiding the matter from her any longer, "We've had technical trouble all day with it."

Chi Chi stared at the group, who all nodded, and let out a labored, unexpected sigh. The group was silent as she shook her head,

"So this is why 18's not allowed in here?"

The group exhaled loudly with relief that Chi Chi wasn't furious.

"Yes," Krillin said slowly, "We don't think she'll take the news too good--"

"But the boys are on their way!" Bulma said with a small smile, "They should be here any minute!"

"Guys," Pan said loudly suddenly, and all eyes were on her, "The wedding is in fifteen minutes."

"Oh my!" Chi Chi ran towards Roshi's room, "I have to double check Marron!"

"Hold on! I'll go with you!" Bulma said running after her.

"I'd better make sure they don't kill each other," Videl said calmly, following Bulma.

Krillin let out a deep sigh, "That was close--"

_**BAMPH! **_

There was a loud plopping noise outside the back door on the other end of the hallway from Roshi's bedroom.

"What was _that_?" Goten said curiously.

Trunks' eyes lit up as he sensed a familiar Ki, "Father! He's here!"

"And that means food too!" Krillin exclaimed, "Hurry, let's go back here!"

Sure enough, there was Gohan and Vegeta, looking worse for wear, with large pallets of food beside them.

"About time you decided to show up," Krillin mused jokingly.

"Shut up," Gohan said in a tense voice. Vegeta smirked,

"Yes, we could do without the nonsense from you."

Krillin's face fell, but Goten patted him on the back, "It's okay. Can you guys set up this while the wedding is going on? It's about to start."

Gohan's face suddenly looked crushed, "I wanted to see the wedding though."

Vegeta gave Gohan a disgusted look, as if a wedding was the most vile thing anyone could watch. But he realized the two were blood brothers.

"Go on," The Saiyan snorted, "I can handle this."

"Seriously?" Gohan couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Why would I have said it if I wasn't?" Vegeta said in an angry voice. "Just go, so I don't have to put up with you!" Gohan smiled, and knew it was no point argueing with the Saiyan.

"Alright, let's get ready then," Gohan said and the others walked back in, as Vegeta flew off to get the last of the food and bring it back to the island.

**_11:55 AM_**

****"Everyone set?" Chi Chi smiled, and her eyes fell on her youngest son, who looked slightly nervous. She grinned and gave him a quick hug, "I'm so proud of you today."

Goten looked up at her and smiled, "Thanks mom...I just wish...you know," His voice dropped, but Chi Chi seemed to know what he was thinking.

"He can see you now," She whispered into his ear as she gave him another hug, "He can see us all, you know."

"I know," Goten smiled, and fought back what he thought were tears, "But it's not the same..."

"You can't choke now," She grinned as Trunks and Tien walked towards Roshi's bedroom, "You have someone else to worry about caring for." She motioned with her eyes to Roshi's bedroom, where Marron was waiting with Lunch and Pan to walk out. Bulma and Videl were already outside waiting, as was Gohan. Krillin was the only other person in the vacinity of them, and he looked focused on what lay beyond Roshi's bedroom door.

"Thanks, you're right," Goten smiled again and embraced his mother. After a moment, they let go and she slowly exited the house, with Goten in front of her.

The sun was pouring onto the perfect white sand, and Goten almost shielded his eyes it was so bright. The chairs formed a path down a small aisle lined with white and red rose petals that were scattered in the sand. Despite all the faces upon his as he walked to stand by where the minister was, Goten didn't feel nervous...not like he usually did.

_What's wrong with me...I should be more nervous than anything right now...and I'm calm. Why am I so calm?_

He stood next to the aged minister who would wed them. The minister opened his book and stretched his fingers, and Chaozu slowly started playing a tune on the piano. The melody that played was the typical anthem and Goten knew this was it. This was his marriage.

The audience's faces were all eager as they looked towards the door of Roshi's house, awaiting the groomsmen and bridesmaids. Goten could make out many faces, the first he recognized were his mother, a weary #18, Bulma, Gohan, Videl, Frost, and Suno. Then he noticed in the front row were also Bra and Uub, their hands joined as they looked at each other in silence. Goten smiled, glad it had worked out for them.

"Here we go," Trunks said with a smile as Pan took her arm in his. Tien and Lunch were already ahead of them.

"I hope I don't trip," Pan said anxiously as they were about to step outside. Trunks grinned,

"You won't."

And Pan felt reassured by this statement. "Thanks, Trunks," She smiled warmly as they entered the sunlight outside.

Goten watched as Tien and Lunch walked slowly down the aisle. You could tell Chaozu was smiling, because the piano playing suddenly had a barely noticable high note to it. Goten didn't understand how Tien and Lunch could go together so long and not be married, considering his situation with Marron, it seemed unreal.

Then came Trunks and Pan. Goten had to smile; the best friend's little playmate was walking down the aisle with his best man. Goten knew that Pan was far too young for Trunks, but there was an odd relationship amongst those two. Best friends obviously, but not like Trunks and Goten were. This was a different friendship.

Bulma gave the two a slightly angry dirty stare, but hid it well from Chi Chi, who had the most admirable look on her face. Goten groaned in his head; he hoped his mother didn't get any crazy ideas about setting those two up anytime soon. Bra on the other hand, didn't seem too affected by the two walking down the aisle; on the contrary, she seemed to take some sort of delight in seeing her brother being forced to walk in with what she considered still a 'young girl'.

Trunks and Tien stood beside Goten now, and Trunks saw his best friend give him a thumbs up. Goten smiled and nodded to the Demi-Saiyan. Lunch and Pan looked at each other and smiled; for some reason, weddings made people smile at everything.

Marron was at the door's edge, breathing heavily. "I--I--think I can do this," She said softly, and Krillin took her arm.

"You can, sweetheart," then he glanced her over once, "You look amazing, Marron."

His daughter blushed, "Thanks daddy," Then she paused, "I love you."

Krillin fought back some tears, "Love you too, Marron."

Goten would have been on the edge of his seat if he had one, but now he was anxiously in his stance waiting for her to come out. Suddenly, the door to Roshi's house opened up and all eyes fell upon Marron and Krillin coming into the sunlight.

The breath in his chest caught and stuck in his lungs as Goten stared at his would-be bride walking towards him. She was in a straight glimmering white satin gown, with a lacy flower design curving down her torso and pearls adorning the neck of the dress, which was open and showing her collar bone. Goten had never seen her look so beautiful, her hair in long blonde curls, and her lips red. He almost had to force himself to breathe. Almost.

Krillin and Marron walked to the end of the aisle and Marron leaned down and accepted a kiss from her father on the cheek. Krillin had a small stream of tears running down his cheek as he let her arm go and walked towards his wife, who patted him on the back as soon as he sat down.

_So this is it, _Goten thought to himself as she joined him in front of the minister.

_This isn't happening...it's too unreal, _Marron said to herself, accepting Goten's hand in hers.

The minister smiled at the couple and opened his book slowly,

"We are gathered here today...to join this man and woman in Holy Matrimony."

_A sentence I thought I'd never here now, _The two thought simultaneously, their eyes locked on one another.

Vegeta, meanwhile, could hear the ceremony taking place outside, as he stacked the last Baked Alaska on the tripod where two others were beside it.

_I'm going to kill that woman if she doesn't thank me for this, _the Saiyan said in an annoyed tone, fumbling with the matches.

"If anyone else has a problem with this union, please speak now, or forever hold their peace," The minister said slowly, as Goten and Marron both found their eyes scanning the crowd, which seemed to be silent.

_Bra's not objecting, _Goten thought and then noticing her hand in Uub's smiled, _But then again...why should she?_

_No one is going to say anything, _Marron thought with a sincere grin towards Goten

"If that is the case, we will now proceed to the vows--"

**_"ARGH!!!!"_**

****Suddenly there was a loud roar and the side of Roshi's house facing away from the crowd was blasted off. The entire audience, and Goten and Marron stared as they saw Vegeta run out of the house with a flaming Baked Alaska in his arms, throwing it into the sea. The crowd gaped as he wiped his hands, the cake bouncing into the waters, where the flames were immediately put out.

"Damn cake," Vegeta growled, "Good choice, Gohan!" He bellowed, and suddenly went silent as he realized the wedding was still underway.

"Uhm," Goten could barely find any words to say, "I'm sure Vegeta doesn't object to the marriage."

"VEGETA!" Bulma screamed, rising to her feet, despite the crowd staring at her. "What on earth are you doing!"

"My house!" Roshi said in a shocked voice.

"What the Hell do you think I'm doing?" Vegeta roared back, ignoring the large crowd staring at them in fear.

"I honestly don't know!" Bulma snapped back.

"Can we just continue with the wedding?" Chi Chi said in a frustrated voice. Marron's face turned red with embarrassment.

"Well if there were more doors around here and some idiot didn't choose Baked Alaska as a food item," The Saiyan retorted in anger.

"Just keep going," Goten advised the minister, who seemed at a loss for words.

"It was a good choice!" Gohan said suddenly.

18 stared at Gohan, "When did _you _choose the food at the wedding?"

Suddenly it seemed that the Android's voice had brought a halt to everything. Gohan and Bulma gave each other nervous stares, while Vegeta huffed and went back inside, cursing loudly so that all could hear as he started to raise the side of the house back into place, with no avail it seemed.

"Uhm," Krillin looked quickly to the minister, "Go on, sir. Let's finish this."

"_When_," Now 18's voice was vicious, "Did someone other than the caterers pick out a food choice?"

Gohan sighed, "Since today when the caterers didn't show up for the wedding," He said slowly. Bulma buried her face in her hands. The crowd let out a subtle gasp. 18 looked on the verge of ripping someone's face off.

"That's why we didn't want you finding out," Bulma said through her fingers, "We were afraid you'd get paranoid." 18 was shaking at her words in anger.

"But," Krillin tried to sound comforting, "On the bright side, the food's here now!"

"How could you?" 18 glared at her husband, "HOW COULD YOU--"

_**"STOP!"**_

****Marron stamped her foot and all eyes came to her; she looked like she was about to cry. "This is my wedding, and you all," She waved a finger at the front row, "Are not going to ruin it for me!" A tear slid down her cheek. "Settle this later!" And the 18 suddenly looked somber and lowered her voice and looked away from Krillin, who seemed extremely relieved.

"If you don't mind," Goten motioned to the minister, who looked flustered and dumbstruck, but not weary.

"Ahem," He said in an old and slightly shaken voice; Marron gave Goten a warm smile as he took her hand and wiped the tear off her cheek with the other, "Now...you're vows, please."

Goten took her other hand in his now, "I promise to you, Marron, to love and have you all my life; in sickness and in health as long as I shall live. To care for you and protect you when needed, and to be the man I need to be for you at all times. I will never stray from your side, and will care for you night and day; this I promise you," And he slid a small gold band across her small ring finger. Marron let out a tiny sob.

She looked up at Goten and caressed his hand within hers, "I promise to you, Goten, to love you for all eternity; to never leave your side, in sickness and in health. To watch over you and take care of you when needed. To be the wife and woman you need and never stray from you in danger, or when needed. I will love you til the end of time; this I promise you," And she slipped the band across his finger as well.

The minister gave them a heartfelt smile, as the crowd let out a united sigh of joy, "Then, do you, Son Goten, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife? To love and to hold in sickness and in health as long as you both shall live?"

Goten didn't hesitate at all, "I do."

"And do you, Marron, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband? To love and to hold in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?"

Marron let a tear roam down her cheek as she smiled, "I do."

The minister closed his book; Krillin and Chi Chi's sobs could be heard in the front row, "Then if there is no objections, I now pronounce you man and wife!"

The audience rose to their feet and clapped their hands; many yelling praises and yells of joy. Goten grabbed Marron by the waist and leaned her towards him, and dipping her low, kissed her passionately on the lips. Marron wrapped her arms around his neck and accepted the kiss as the crowd went crazy with yells and clapping behind him. Trunks let out a whistle and Pan giggled; Bra surprisingly, smirked and shook her head, not thinking it was possible. Chi Chi and Krillin were hugging each other, while 18 was still fuming over finding out the food had been rigged by Gohan and Vegeta.

"Geez," Krillin said with tears in his eyes, "Everything's gone wrong today!"

"Ha," 18 laughed harshly, "I told you it would!"

"Not everything," Bulma said with a smile and looked up. Everyone else in the audience suddenly fell suit as a chopper from Capsule Corp. flew overhead, dousing everyone on the island with white rose petals. Goten and Marron looked up as the petals fell on them in a flurry of white that resembled a snow storm. Many younger audience members danced in the shower of petals.

"This is incredible," Goten said in an astonished voice, turning to his new bride.

"It's _perfect_," Marron said in an amazed voice that matched his, and he hugged her, leading her to Roshi's house.

**_1:24 PM_**

****Within almost twenty minutes, the entire audience had proceeded through the food line and was now eating and chatting and dancing to the music performed by Chaozu and the music system of Roshi's house. Vegeta had tried to fix the wall of Roshi's house, but decided to leave it as it was for now, and Bulma made him promise the old hermit he'd fix it in the morning.

"Besides," Gohan tried to reassure Roshi and 18, who was now venting her frustration on Gohan, Vegeta, and Krillin, "Everyone can move better with it gone! Heh heh," He smiled, but 18 didn't smile back.

"I should kill all three of you," She said in a hateful snap, "One by one, for putting me on like that!"

"Heh, try," Vegeta grinned evilly, and walked away from her. Krillin had to restrain 18 from going after him.

Goten and Marron were dancing slowly in the middle of the living room, each close in their embrace.

"Remember about a month ago," Goten smiled, "When we first danced on this floor?"

Marron giggled and gave him an incredulous look, "You mean when we were both drunk and cleaning this rat nest up?"

"Well," Goten paused and sighed, "Yes."

"Ha," She grinned, "I remember."

"At that time," He sighed, "I wouldn't have imagined this."

"Me either," Marron squeezed him tighter, "But it worked out, didn't it?"

"You said it," Goten grinned and gazed towards Chi Chi, who was chatting with Videl, "All because of mom."

"Really should thank her, I suppose," Marron kissed him lightly on the cheek; Goten sighed happily,

"I agree. We will of course," He grinned, "Tommorrow maybe."

"Or after the honey moon?" Marron asked curiously, her eyebrows raising.

"Oh! I almost forgot," Goten gave his wife an apologetic look, "Our honey moon...that's after this, right?"

"I would hope so," Marron smiled and continued their dance. Goten smiled, but deep down, he suddenly felt more nervous.

Pan and Bra sat on the couch beside the dance area, and Bra leaned towards Pan.

"Not dancing, Pan?" She asked, her voice sly. Uub elbowed her softly in the ribs, but she ignored it; he knew that there was no one there that was close to Pan's age for her to dance with.

"No, I don't dance," Pan said in a slightly annoyed tone. She didn't like how Bra was teasing her.

"Maybe, you can dance with T--"

Suddenly, Frost came over towards the couch, his blue-green hair swaying in the artificial light in the room. He bowed slightly to Pan, who stared at him curiously. "Can I have a dance with you, Miss Son?"

Pan stared at him, not really knowing what to say; Bra and Uub bore similar expressions. "Uhm...I guess," No sooner had she said this, Frost had led her to the dance floor. Uub gave Bra a slightly triumphant look.

"Where did he come from?" Bra said angrily. Uub just shook his head.

Frost and Pan were about the same height; Frost being a few inches taller. He held her hand and her waist as they glided across the dance area slowly. Pan grapsed the outside of his shoulder and his hand slightly hesitantly, not really knowing what to tell him as they danced. She was happy when he broke the silence,

"You're Son Gohan's daughter, right?" He asked curtiously.

"Yes," Pan said with a slight bluntness to her voice. "Why?"

"He was a great warrior, my mother said," Frost said in an admirable tone.

_Was? _Pan thought, but didn't say aloud, "He _is _a great warrior," She said proudly, "He defeated Cell, you know."

"He did?" Frost was taken aback a little, "I thought that was your grandfather Hercule."

Pan giggled, most thought this. "Do you honestly think my grandfather could really defeat the likes of a being like Cell?"

Frost stared over at the punch bowl, where Hercule was struggling to get a glass of punch for Videl, as Vegeta muttered under his breath what an oaf he was standing next to the Prince of All Saiyans. He smiled and turned back to Pan,

"Okay..I guess it would make more sense to say your father did it."

"That's a good response," Pan said with a smile.

"Heh," Frost chuckled and nodded his head curtly, "It's nice to dance with you, Miss Son."

"Thanks, but," Pan shook her head with a smile, "You don't have to call me Miss Son, you know. It's Pan."

"Alright, _Pan_," Frost smiled, "Does that work?"

"Wonderfully," Pan smiled, as the two continued dancing.

"That's sweet," Bulma said with a smile, watching Pan and Frost dance from a distance. Suno didn't say anything, but Chi Chi eyed Frost's mother curiously. Videl smiled to Bulma,

"It's nice she's dancing with someone. This is the most lady-like I think Pan's ever been."

"She should start acting more like a lady," Chi Chi said over her saki and walked off, Videl giving her a scowl. Suno disappeared from sight not long afterwards.

Bulma gave Videl a quick look, "She's been peculiar the whole night," She said cautiously to Videl, who smiled understandingly.

"She just doesn't know anyone," Videl reassured Bulma. "How can she start a conversation with people she doesn't know?"

"Fair enough," Bulma replied, but still eyed Suno suspiciously, "But I'm keeping an eye on her."

"You do that," Videl said with a grin and headed towards the food table.

Marron ran to her father as the song ended and gave him a hug, "Dad, do you want to dance with me on this one?"

Krillin looked at his daughter with misty eyes, "Of course," And the two walked slowly to the dance floor.

Goten was about to go get Chi Chi, when he noticed someone was tapping on his shoulder. He turned around to see it was Baba, the old crone that was a fortune teller and also Roshi's sister. He hadn't noticed her because she was so short, she had to rise up on her crystal ball to get to his shoulder. His eyes widened as he turned to look at the crone.

"Baba!" He exclaimed happily; having not seen her in forever.

"_SHHHH!!!" _The witch snapped, her pink hair falling in her face. "I don't want anyone to know I'm here! Follow me," She led him outside, casually avoiding the others by slipping out behind Vegeta and the food table where he was stationed at.

It was still daylight outside, but everyone had either left or moved into the house, so no one was on the beach anymore. Goten turned and looked at Baba curiously once they were out of sight.

"What is this, Baba? You came for the wedding?"

"I came to see what that Saiyan did to my brother's home," She said sternly and then chuckled, "From the looks of things, he wrecked it well!"

"Typical Vegeta," Came a voice from the corner of the house that Goten and Baba couldn't see.

But Goten knew that voice. He knew it all too well. _It can't be...IT CAN'T BE! _Goten slowly started towards the corner of the house, Baba following slowly behind him, her face tense.

"Now don't go screaming or anything," Baba said nervously, as Goten sped up, "We can't have everyone hanging on him like he's a celebrity or something--"

**_"DAD!" _**Goten shouted, reaching the corner of the house and seeing Goku standing in his typical Orange Gi in front of him. The Saiyan looked as if he hadn't aged a day, and his smile grew wide as he saw his son. Goten ran to his father, who collected him in an embrace.

"Son, _wow_," Goku breathed, "You've changed in a year!" He looked his son over, "You're _hair_, it's more like mine now!"

Baba laughed slightly, "What'd you expect? He's _your _son."

"Dad...I..._how_?" Goten stammered, looking to the crone for an explanation.

The crone's face wrinkled a little more than it already was. "I can travel to earth and the heavens and back," She sighed, "I convinced Enma to let Goku have a small amount of time here on Earth to see you and the others."

Goten gave his dad a slightly less happy look, "How long?"

"Just an hour, I'm afraid," Goku frowned slightly, "And I've already wasted some watching a part of the wedding."

"Less than an _hour_?" Goten's mouth dropped.

"Yeah, It's not a good trade this time, like it was when I first met you son," Goku apologized, "But it's the best I could do."

Baba gave the Saiyan a dirty look, "The best _you _could do?" She muttered under her breath, turning away from them, "_It's me that got you here_..."

"It's alright though, son," Goku smiled and embraced Goten, "I got to see you give your vows...wow, alot better than I could have ever done it!"

"Dad..."

"I still can't believe you're marrying Marron!" Goku exclaimed, "Time flies when you're gone, I guess."

"So how is it? Up there?" Goten asked suddenly.

"Oh, it's great, Goten!" The Saiyan smiled wide, "I've trained so much in the past--"

"Goku, you're time is thin on this trip, do you want to say hello to everyone else?" Baba advised cautiously.

"Oh yeah!" Goku said with a sudden hit of realization. "Go get them Baba, while I talk to Goten."

The wrinkled witch gave Goku a look of contempt, then sighed in defeat, "_Fine_. Wait _here_." And she zoomed off on her crystal ball.

Goku turned back to Goten, "So you're married now...I can't believe it son."

"Thanks," Goten stammered, "I hope to be as great a husband and father as you, dad."

"Aw, I wasn't a very good father or husband," Goku admitted, running a hand to his head.

"I thought you were," Goten said and meant it. Despite all the times he'd left them to train, he was still a good soul, and a good man to him.

"Well, I hope you'll be a greater father and husband than I _ever _was," Goku explained, a smile hinting on his face.

"I will be," Goten said proudly.

"I know you will," Goku patted Goten's shoulder, "You've made me proud, son."

**_"GOKU!"_**

****Despite Baba's bickering, Krillin, Chi Chi, Bulma, Uub, Trunks, Gohan, and Pan all ran towards Goku and embraced him. Bra, Vegeta, 18, and Videl casually walked with Baba towards him, Marron trailing behind with her large wedding dress.

"Hey everyone!" Goku smiled as the large group hugged him. Chi Chi sobbed onto Goku's chest as she wrapped her arms around him. Gohan looked at his dad with amazement.

"So Baba got you to come back," He said slowly.

"For a little bit, yes," Goku smiled, "You've not changed much Gohan."

"Of course not," Vegeta said bluntly, a slightly amazed and angered look on his face.

"Neither have you," Goku smiled slyly, as Chi Chi wailed into his chest. "Still training?"

"Yes," Vegeta grumbled.

"He's going to train me!" Pan said, a stern but proud look on her face as she hugged her grandfather.

"He--what?" Goku stared at Vegeta, "Are you serious?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Vegeta glared, he couldn't believe Kakarrot was so naive.

"Wow," Goku stared at Pan, "You've changed a lot too! You're much stronger than before!" He said and a smile lit his face.

"After you left, I trained non-stop," Pan said, her voice slightly hurt.

"I'm so sorry I had to go," Goku said with a frown, "But it was for the best."

"How can you say thaaaaat?" Chi Chi whined, tears streaming down her face, "Goku, you always _leeeaaaveeeee_!"

"I had to this time, with Shenron...," Goku smiled, "Don't cry Chi Chi..." He tried to comfort her by patting her back soothingly, but she still bawled.

"Goku, I can't believe you sometimes," Bulma shook her head.

"Yeah, I know," Goku smile towards her and stared at Uub and Trunks, "_WOW_! You two have gotten _a lot _stronger since I left too!"

Uub and Trunks grinned, "We've been training." Trunks said with a sly grin.

"Uub's trained everyday," Bra cut in proudly, despite Vegeta's disapproving look.

"_Wow_, that's great, Uub!" Goku smiled. "How did you know that, Bra?"

"She's marrying him," Vegeta said in a threatening voice.

"_WHAT?" _Goku nearly fell over with Chi Chi in his embrace. "Wow...alot of stuff happens when you're gone!" He gave the group a nervous smile.

"When's the next time you can come back?" Krillin asked curiously.

"I don't know," Goku looked to Baba, who gave him an I-don't-know stare back. "I guess whenever Enma lets me. Who knows. But still, I'm glad I could see you all today," Suddenly Marron pushed her way to the front of the crowd. "Especially you," He said, as she came towards him, smiling and blushing at the same time. "I'm so happy you and Goten are married now."

"Thank you," Marron smiled back as Goku gave her a small hug.

Tien and Lunch suddenly appeared, both looking breathless, "You couldn't tell us he was here, could you Baba?" Tien said with a sly grin as he gave Goku a large pat on the back and Lunch gave him a short kiss on the cheek. Chi Chi, who was still crying hysterically, didn't notice this.

"Hey Tien! Are you and Lunch together now?" Goku asked curiously.

"Erm," Tien's face turned slightly red, "In a sense." Lunch gave him a curt look.

"Yes," She said, despite the look of doubt on Tien and Goku's faces. "We are."

"Goku," Trunks cut in, "There's a woman here named Suno--"

"Who's brought her son here for us to train," Uub finished.

"Suno?" Goku gave the two a curious and confused look.

"That girl in the mountains that saved you when you were a kid," Bulma explained, holding an angry Vegeta's arm.

"OH! Suno!" Goku suddenly remebered her, "Oh! Really? Is the boy strong?"

"Yes," 18 said quickly, "He had a lot of Ki that's hidden in him." The others stared at her; Vegeta nodded.

"Hmmm," Goku pondered, "Well, I guess you'll just have to train him. He sounds interesting," Goku said with a grin.

"That's what we were thinking," Trunks said and Uub nodded.

"I hate to break this up," Baba said, her eyes scanning the group, "But we have to go now, Goku." She turned sadly to the Saiyan, who frowned.

The others looked crushed, but Goku quickly smiled and gave each one of them an embrace, saving Chi Chi, Pan, Gohan, Goten, Marron, Krillin, and Vegeta for last.

"Pan, don't stop training. Understand?" He whispered to her as he hugged her. She nodded her head slowly. "One day it's going to be up to you to save the world, and I want you ready," Goku smiled to her as he let her go. She held back a few tears and nodded her head.

"Gohan...try to train a little too," He said, and his eldest son smiled, "Make me...and Piccolo proud." He knew that Gohan had been crushed when Piccolo had sacrificed himself during the Bebi saga, and Gohan took this to heart and nodded.

"Goten," Goku smiled, "You've made me so proud today." He embraced his son, "Make me prouder and be the dad and husband I never was."

The Demi-Saiyan embraced his father, "I'll still train, you know."

"Good," Goku laughed, "You were a slacker back long ago," And the two laughed. "Take care of Marron and Chi Chi, son."

"I will," Goten said with a smile.

Then, the Saiyan turned to Marron, who gave him a warm grin as he hugged her. "You have a good man for a husband," He smiled, "know that."

"I do," Marron said with a smile. Goku let go of her and moved to Krillin.

"Best friend," He said slowly, smiling.

"Now father-in-laws," Krillin added, a grin on his face.

"Wow, I hadn't thought of that!" He gave the earthling a quick embrace, "That's incredible. I wouldn't have it any other way, you know."

"That's what I thought too," Krillin said and gave his wife a quick glance, who merely rolled her eyes.

"I guess I'll see you on the other side, old friend," Goku smiled.

Krillin nodded compassionately, "I'll meet you there."

The Saiyan turned to Chi Chi and gave her the longest hug, as she was still crying on his chest. "Chi Chi...don't cry...it'll be alright." He said, smoothing her hair with his hand.

"H--how can you l--l--leave us again?" She bawled into his chest. "I can't stand it!"

"It'll be fine, Chi Chi," Goku lifted her head that was now cupped in his palm, "You'll see me sooner than you think."

Chi Chi sniffled, "You promise me?"

"I promise," Goku gave her a kiss on the lips, "I love you, Chi Chi."

His wife hugged him tighter and then dried her tears with her sleeve as Goku let her go and moved towards Baba, who looked rather impatient. "It's _your _hide that's in for it if we're late," She reminded him as he moved towards him. Goku stopped short of Baba and turned to Vegeta, who was glaring at him.

"Don't take it too pesonal that I never got to finish that one-on-one match with you," Goku smiled. "I'm sure eventually we'll have a go at one another. I look forward to it."

Vegeta smirked smugly, "When I get up there Kakarrot, you'll wish you _hadn't _said that."

"I'm sure I will," Goku grinned, "In the mean time, train Pan well." He gave Vegeta an uncharacteristic stare, and the Saiyan grinned back with a hint of evillness.

"Count on it, Kakarrot."

Goku waved goodbye one last time as Chi Chi sobbed and the others gave a bittersweet stare towards Goku, as he and Baba flew up towards the sky, the old crone muttering under her breath the entire time how they took too long on Earth.

Goten grabbed Marron's hand and she looked up to see he was smiling that trademark Goku-like grin.

"Happy you got to see him?" She asked as the others started their way back to the reception.

"It's all I wanted today," He turned to her, "Other than marrying you."

"That's sweet," She replied, giving him a peck on the cheek as they returned inside to the party for them.

**_5:54 PM_**

****While a few people were still hanging out at the reception, most had by now gone home, as the sun started to lower into the western sky. Bulma and Videl were cleaning up food with Roshi, as other members of the Z Gang were helping clean Roshi's house. Vegeta, Krillin, and Gohan had been assigned to fix Roshi's torn down wall.

"I can't believe you all neglected to tell me Goku came by!" The old hermit said angrily as he sweeped some cheese into the dust pan.

"You saw him not that long ago," Bulma snapped sharply, "Besides, what about your sister? She was here too."

"Aw, She's a witch," Roshi said darkly, "I could care less if I see her."

"I'd watch it," Pan teased, laying on the couch, now out of her dress and in normal clothes, "She might turn you into a turtle!"

"I wish," Roshi muttered, emptying the dust pan contents into the trash can. "Wall _destroyed_...house _trashed_...I _could _use a witch about now..." he muttered angrily.

"Uhm," Goten looked at everyone cleaning, and all eyes suddenly fell on him, "I think Marron and I are going to head out shortly."

18 and Krillin looked at each other, and Krillin smiled, "You guys should! You're honey moon is going to be at least a week, right?" He laughed and Marron and Goten caught the joke.

"They've already had a pre-honeymoon," Chi Chi said slowly, her face turned away from the group. "It was a week long."

"That's what I meant," Krillin mused.

"We get it," Marron smiled, and turned to Roshi, "Are you sure you'll be fine?"

"He has all the help he needs," Bulma replied, on her knees now, picking up trash. "You two go on ahead."

"Don't worry about us!" Pan smiled, laying her head on a pillow, looking extremely tired.

"Have fun," 18 said, and Marron gave her mother a surprised look, "You deserve it," She winked at her daughter who gave her a quick hug.

"It's been interesting," Goten told Roshi, as Marron said her goodbyes, "We'll come here to train of course, after the honeymoon."

"Both of you?" Roshi said with a raised eyebrow.

"Is that a problem?" Marron smiled with a hint of threatening.

"No, no," Roshi grinned slightly perversely, "I look forward to it," But quickly the smile faded when he saw 18's fists clench.

The couple said their goodbyes and received best wishes from everyone; even Bra and Uub, which surprised Goten and Marron both. Even Vegeta nodded his head to Goten, which was extremely awkward for the Demi-Saiyan. As they turned to leave, Trunks gave Goten a slap on the shoulder and whispered into his ear where no one could hear,

"Need any assistance tonight?" He smiled wickedly, and Goten knew what he meant. He laughed and slapped his friend on the back.

"I think I have it covered," Goten smiled, "But thanks for the offer."

"Just looking out for my best friend," Trunks grinned.

"It's appreciated." Goten replied and he and Marron took off, but now there was a new feeling in Goten's stomache surfacing again; nervousness.

**_6:10 PM_**

****The sun was setting in the western sky, painting it hues of pink, purple, and blue. Goten grasped Marron's hand as they both flew side by side into the wilderness where the old home of Goku's adoptive grandfather Gohan had lived. The beach slowly faded from sight, and trees of every shape, size, and hue of green replaced them. After what seemed like twenty or thirty minutes of silent flying, save only for Marron's remarks on the beautiful landscape, they finally seemed to reach the place where Goku had grown up as a child; Gohan's old home.

The weeds had covered a large part of the outside, and it took Goten a little while to chop through them. Marron waited on the clearing in front of the house as he cleared away several overgrown plants and opened the door inside.

Luckily, the inside was in prestine condition. While the outside was stone and granite, the inside was wood and concrete blended to create a cozy, rustic setting. It looked spacious, even though there was one bed and bathroom, and the kitchen was smaller than either was used to. It had a very homely feel to it.

After inspecting the rooms and finding that Krillin and Gohan had tidied up a large portion of the inside, Goten and Marron finally settled down at the kitchen table. Marron grinned as she looked outside the window near them.

"It's amazing out here," She said slowly.

"It sure is," Goten sipped some leftover saki he'd brought with them. "There's no one or no thing for miles. All wilderness...peaceful wilderness, anyway," He reassured his wife, who smiled warmly.

"One question," She asked curiously, "Why were the weeds so bad outside, if Gohan and Krillin were just over here about two weeks ago?"

"I guess they didn't clear out the weeds good enough and they grew back," Goten said with a sip of his saki.

"Good point," Marron said and she smiled. "Want me to fix you something? I brought some leftovers from the reception," She motioned to some that were on the table. Goten smiled.

"If you'll fix me something, I'll fix you something too." He said with a smile. Marron looked at him curiously.

"I can eat anything that I brought. Why?"

Goten got up and walked towards the cabinets beside them. "I asked Gohan to put this in here," He opened the cabinet drawers and there was several loaves of bread inside. "Would you like some toast?"

Marron nearly fell out of her chair laughing, "You know," She grinned and sat back up in her seat, "I wouldn't mind that at all. Sure." And she stood up and the two started cooking.

**_7:56 PM_**

****"That," Goten rubbed his stomache, "Was amazing."

"Thanks," Marron nibbled on the burnt toast Goten had made her. "Yours was...good also."

"Too burnt?" Goten asked, and Marron choked a little on her bite, not wanting to admit he'd nuked the bread more than just a _little_.

"No, no," Marron said with a congenial smile, "Just the way I like it."

"Ha ha," Goten smiled, and slowly it became more of a frown, "But I have to admit to you, Marron..."

"What?" She lowered her toast.

"A lot of those times, I really didn't fix all that food," Goten smiled a guilty grin, "I actually had the pre-cooked stuff at Roshi's."

Marron giggled, "To be honest myself, I knew that a lot of the time."

"Oh," Goten blushed with embarrassment.

"But I don't mind," She said with a grin, "Whether you cooked it or not...it's the thought that counts."

"Yeah," Goten grinned, despite his red face, "I guess you're right."

The two ate in silence, and suddenly Goten and Marron looked up at each other, both unsure of what to do next.

"I guess," Goten started, looking down at his plate, "We could do these dishes..."

"That's true," Marron agreed, "They won't do themselves."

The couple got up out of their seats and took the dishes to the sink, where they did them in silence, the awkwardness of which was spreading like wildfire between them. After the last dish was put away, the two stared at each other in silence. The clock on the wall was ticking slowly _tick-tock...tick-tock...tick-tock..._Shortly after they broke into the bottle of wine they'd saved from Roshi's but still as they drank, there was an awkward silence amongst each other.

"So," Marron sighed, breaking the silence.

"So...," Goten was now more nervous in the silence of the room than ever.

_What on earth is he waiting for, _Marron wondered. She wasn't a fool. She knew what this night meant...and she was ready for it. She'd waited long enough for him and it.

_Geez...how can I...she's...she's not Bra.., _Goten kept thinking about that one time with Bra...he'd been so much younger...and this was a completely different situation. _I can't go about this like I did with her, _Goten convinced himself of that, _Marron isn't like that..._

"Goten," Marron finally spoke up, her face turning pink at the cheeks. "This wedding dress...is killing me."

The Demi-Saiyan figured it was, "Oh, you can go take it off if you want...this tux is uncomfortable too."

Marron's eyes narrowed slyly, "I was wondering if _you _could help _me _out of it." She said and a hand ran down his face.

Goten felt his heart speed up a notch, as he realized what she was implying. "Oh...you're..._sure_...uhm..."

"What's the matter?" Marron asked, her hand running down his neck.

He felt goosebumps erupt inside him as her slightly chilled hand caressed his neck, "I...just...it's so _early_..." He felt so stupid at this moment, but he didn't know what to say. "Are you sure...I mean..._I don't know," _He ran a hand to his head.

Marron chuckled; he was naive around this now, and it was cute to her. "Goten, we're married. I'm okay with it now." She said slowly, looking him in the eye. "_Now_...will you help me with my dress?"

Goten stared into her eyes, and the full implications of their marriage hit him. He nodded slowly; "Okay." He'd never heard her talk like that...so sultry...and it was weird, but at the same time...he _liked _it. He stroked her blonde hair with his hand and a small smile formed on his face as he kissed her neck, "Let's go."

The two made their way to the back of the bedroom, and Goten looked around. It was lowly lit, with a glow of a few candles surrounding them. "Heh," Goten sighed, smiling, "Gohan and Krillin did a good job."

"I'll say," Marron smiled and kissed Goten on the cheek, and he suddenly felt as if it was the first time she'd did that to him before. The sensation crawled up his legs as he slowly breathed more heavily, looking at her as she turned around to try and get her dress undone.

Goten came up towards her and slowly tried to unclip the back of her dress. _Why are wedding dresses so complicated? _He wondered as he tried to unclamp the pin that was holding it together.

After it finally unsnapped, Marron unlaced the back, and Goten slowly saw her back for the first time to him. He really didn't know how petite she was until that moment, but it was a pretty petite...a _beautiful _petite. She wasn't curvy and volumptuous like Bra, but she was thin and slightly muscled on her backside and it complimented her well.. he realized how different Bra and Marron were in both appearance and personality, and he was glad at this instance that he had married Marron a hundred times over. He suddenly felt the chills spread through him again. Goten came up behind her and kissed her neck, his lips lingering there for a few seconds longer than his kisses usually did.

"I love you," He whispered in her ear.

"Love you too," She smiled and kissed him back, then turned to got to the bathroom. "I'll be right back."

Goten quickly changed out of his tuxedo and into his blue boxers he'd wore to the Bridal Shop. Crawling into bed, he pulled back the covers and waited on her, his mind scyphering through the events of that day. It had mostly been a blur to him, other than their vows and Goku's visit.

When Marron came out again, she was in nothing but underwear and a large white t-shirt, that looked like one of Goten's. The Demi-Saiyan's eyes fell on her and he scanned her body over with his eyes and his instincts in his gut were kicking in slowly as he motioned her to come towards him.

"Is that mine?" Goten asked with a chuckle.

"You want it back?" Marron teased and crawled next to him in bed. Goten's eyes widened,

"That depends," He played back, and wrapped a hand around her neck. "Do you need it?"

"Why would I?" Marron said playfully as she kissed Goten on the cheek.

"To keep you warm of course," Goten replied as he caressed her neck with his hand and wrapped a muscular leg around her silky small one, moving toward her slowly. She was so small that he was afraid to hurt her, but she seemed unafraid.

"Why would I need a shirt to keep me warm," Marron said, as she kissed him passionately on the lips, "When I have _you_?"

There was a moment of silence as they kissed each other slower and slower, from neck to cheek to lips, and then a silence as they stared at each other in the candlelight. And at that point, Marron grabbed his shoulders with her hands and thrusted him against her, her kisses enveloping him as he quickly became aroused and his instincts kicked into full force. He started to kiss her just as passionately back, his arms wrapping themselves around her and pulling her towards him, as his legs intertwined with hers.

Slowly, as the two embraced, they started to fall beneath the covers and slowly lurked out of the candlelight to the privacy under the sheets, where they could see nothing but each other.

_**Well, this is how I planned on the wedding scene ending, and I'm satisfied with it to a large extent...but what do you all think of it? Please send me any comments or messages about the story! I appreciate everything you send and I wouldn't be writing this story without all of you! **_

_**Well, all I can say is next chapter is a surprise! LOL, I know what I want to do with it, but I'm going to keep it a surprise! So, until the next chapter:**_

_**Peace out and Rock ROCK ON!**_

_**Merry Christmas, Hannakuh, Kwanza, or any religious holiday you celebrate! **_

_**Peace on Earth and Goodwill to Men! (And women )**_

_**Romania Black**_


	36. Two Months Later

The Taming of the Saiyan

By Romania Black

_**So, after the wedding chapters, I had to take a little break...to prevent writer's block of course! heh, school's been out, but now it's about to start back up, and with my busy schedule (unfortunately) the chapter's may be coming in slower:( But hopefully I can make my quota of getting this fic done in under a year (that's what I want anyway, but most likely not going to happen) heh, anyway, here's Chapter 36, and I like it...I hope you all do as well! **_

_**I've also been getting into the DBZ Manga (I have volumes 12, 16, 19-23, 25, and 26...thanks Waldenbooks! woot!) so I'm getting immersed into DBZ, which I'm liking a lot! Yay! Just wanted to share that with you! heh heh...**_

_**Disclaimer: I own NOTHING of Akira Toriyama...but if he wishes to use any of my ideas...GO FOR IT! **_

_**Story Rated T for TEEN due to mild violence, brief language, alcohol references/consumption, and Mild Sexual Themes (Especially throughout this chapter, so younger viewers...YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! 66)**_

_**Reviews:**_

**_Kumori Ookami: Yay, I'm glad you guessed it was Goku! ha ha, I was hoping some people got it! yay! I'm so glad you enjoyed this chapter and I hope you like this one just as much! Yay! Thanks SO much for the review! Enjoy the chapter!_**

**_CheyaAngel: Thanks so much for this review! I hope your holidays were wonderful too:) Yeah, I think I may go places with Frost and Pan...who knows...perhaps even a triangle? hmmm...we'll have to wait and see! ha ha, but anyway, Thanks and I hope you enjoy this chapter too!_**

**_Witch of Erie Knoll: Getting a book published? That's awesome! What kind of book! -ish curious now- but anywhoo, thanks so much for the review! Ha ha, I actually wanted that line to be interpretted that Goku was going to see HER again soon, but I can see it being thought of the other way around! ha ha, wow, that's funny! I'm glad you liked it, and I hope you like this chapter as well! ;)_**

**_Sinful Sakura: Hope your holidays were wonderful as mine were! lol, I'm glad I have a Trunks/Pan fan...it helps! ha ha, who knows! Once again, I'm thinking a triangle situation..but more of that in the sequel! ha ha! Anywhoo, I'm so glad you liked the chapters! Vegeta blowing up the cake...I'm glad someone appreciated that! ha ha, I was just picturing it when it happened! tee hee, but anyway, Suno will be explained...there's more to her than you think! ;) Well, onto this chapter Thanks so much for the review and enjoy!_**

_**Wow, you all do not know how lucky I am to have you here as supporters of this fic...It really means a lot to me all the support I've received on this story! Thanks so much you guys! I LOVE YOU ALL!!!! Please don't hesitate to send me a comment or review on the story! You keep it going! Thank you all a hundred times over for your kindness and support! Peace out and rock rock on! Most importantly though, **_

_**Enjoy the Story!**_

_**Romania Black**_

Chapter Thirty-Six: Two Months Later

Goten leaned on the edge of the bedrail and slowly glanced at the clock. The blinking red lights indicated it was fifteen after eight. The Demi-Saiyan groaned and rolled over, to where his wife was soundly sleeping. Giving her a gentle tap on the shoulder, he noticed her eyes open and she craned her head to see him over her shoulder.

"What?" Marron asked, a confused and tired expression on her face.

"Aren't we still going to Bra and Uub's wedding?" Goten asked quietly.

Marron gave a soft sigh; one that didn't sound very eager, "What time is it?"

"The wedding starts at two," Goten said quietly. "We could get there by ten if we get up now," He said, his eyes glancing at the clock for a few seconds. Marron pulled the cover over her head,

"Goten," She sounded aggravated, "Why on earth would we want to get there at ten, when the wedding doesn't start until two?"

"To help out," Goten shrugged.

Marron lifted her head out of the covers and gave him a stern look, "And did they help out with our wedding?" She asked in a curious and slightly threatening tone. Goten shook his head,

"Well..._no_," He finally replied.

"Then, how about," Marron gave him a small smile, "We just sleep some more and then go there around noonish?"

The Demi-Saiyan pondered this for a moment, "Well...I guess that'd work." He finally decided.

His wife gave him a warm look of satisfaction, "Good. Glad that's settled," and she rolled back over, her head turned from him.

Goten stared at her for a moment, before a playful smile lit his face. He slowly leaned over towards her to where his face was inches from her ear. Marron could feel his breath tickle the outer rim of her ear and smiled with slight confusion, "What is it, Goten?"

"Since we don't have to get up now," The Demi-Saiyan grinned, "We could...hmmmm...," He leaned towards her and whispered in her ear. Marron's eyes widened and she gave him an amusingly incredulous look,

"Are you serious?" She whispered back.

"Come on," Goten taunted, giving her ribs a gentle poke; Marron giggled.

"G--Goten," Marron said, laughing as she scooted from his poking hand, "N--no...I need some sleep!"

The Demi-Saiyan looked slightly hurt, "You've had plenty of time to sleep," he mused and gave her a sweet peck on the cheek.

Marron turned her head and stared into his eyes and saw the hungry look there and sighed deeply; Goten knew what was coming.

"Well...I don't know...," She said slowly.

Goten was closer to her face now, inches from her mouth, their noses touching. He knew she was close to giving in, "Pleeeeeease?"

Marron sighed and giggled, knowing there was no use arguing with him, "Only if you'll do it."

Goten's face faltered for a moment, "Aw, come on, Marron. _Again_?"

"Yes," She crossed her arms, which were now above the sheet. "What's wrong with it? You do it all the time in battle."

"That's...different," Goten protested. But he could see she wasn't buying it a bit.

"_Phooey_," Marron said with a sharp but playful grin, and ran a finger down his bare muscled chest, something she knew sent chills down him, "I like it when you do it though..."

"I know you do," Goten said, fighting the sensation her touch left on him and trying to be serious, "But I don't want to hurt you."

"You've done it countless times, and not _once _have I been hurt," Marron said with a slightly appalled voice.

"_Fine_," Goten finally gave in, as she had to him, knowing it was pointless to carry on with the discussion. After a moment of silence, he focused his Ki and released a powerful wave of energy. Marron's hair swept back as if in an artificial wind, and Goten became a Super Saiyan. The ethereal glow around his body lingered for a few moments, then he slowed it to where he wasn't glowing anymore, but his hair remained blonde and his eyes emerald.

Marron clapped her hands, "It never ceases to amaze me," She giggled, wrapping and arm around his neck. His skin was warm from the energy flowing through him. "The whole Super Saiyan thing, that is." She added with a playful smile, kissing him on the lips. Edging towards her, Goten smiled,

"You'd be the only one that'd ask me to do this, you know that right?"

"Of course," Marron grinned and the two fell back against their pillows, as the clock on the table beside them flashed eight-thirty AM.

Around noon, Marron and Goten, both dressed in formal clothing, arrived at the Capsule Corp. Headquarters, that Bulma had temporarily transformed into a wedding hall. Most of the faces Goten and Marron saw were friends old and new, and others were investors or members of Capsule Corp. and Bulma and Mr. Briefs had invited.

Uub was wandering around in a black tuxedo, looking ancy and slightly nervous; he was pacing the pews. Goten motioned towards Marron, "I'm going to go chat with Uub, okay?" Marron nodded,

"Just don't be too long; we'll have to find a seat here shortly." Goten nodded back and walked towards Uub, as Marron went to find a familiar face to talk to. No sooner had she started looking for someone, then she ran into Pan.

"Hey, Marron!" Pan wasn't in a bridesmaid's dress, but she was dressed in a very nice black dress that came to her knees and was halter strung at the top. She looked mature in it to say the least, her shoulder-length hair in a bun at the top of her head. She resembled Chi Chi more than anything.

"Hi, Pan, wow," Marron scanned her over, "You look very nice today."

"Thanks," The small part-Saiyan blushed, "Mom picked it out for me."

"It looks nice," Marron smiled.

"Yeah, it's better than Roshi's dress!" Pan laughed, and Marron giggled with her. "How's your new house holding up?"

"Good," Marron said. Shortly after their honeymoon had been over, they had decided to make Master Gohan's old house into their own. It had been going smoothly so far for the most part.

"That's great, oh," Pan suddenly looked as if she'd remembered something, "Mom and Chi Chi are over by the food if you want to see them." She pointed to a table a few feet away.

"Oh," Marron spotted Chi Chi and Videl by the punch, "Thanks. I'll head over there."

"Alright, see ya, Marron!" Pan waved and walked on away from her.

"Bye," Marron said curtiously and took a step towards the dinner table. Suddenly there was a horrible feeling in her throat. She took a breath and tried to get a grip on what was happening. There was an acidic feeling in her stomache and throat...a vomitous feeling. Marron stopped moving for a moment and held her stomach in slight pain. _I can't be getting sick! _Marron thought panicked. _Not during the wedding. _She took a deep breath. _I'm fine...must have been some sour milk for breakfast...or something..._

"You okay?" Marron spotted Videl looking at her curiously. Suddenly Marron felt better.

"Yeah! Just some...indigestion, I guess!" She said, forcing a smile.

Videl nodded, "Ate breakfast too fast?"

"Possibly," Marron said a little weaker, as she followed Videl to the punch bowl where Chi Chi was still standing.

"Uub," Goten said cheerfully from not far away, as he patted the nervous warrior on the shoulder, "Ready for the big day?"

"Goten, hey," Uub glanced nervously around him, "It'd be easier to be ready for it..but it's..."

"What?" Goten smiled, and looked around as well, "Too perfect?" The place looked flawless.

"Yes!" Uub said in a nervous whisper; Goten gave him a incredulously confused stare.

"Come again?"

"Nothing bad has happened!" Uub was whispering louder, grabbing Goten's arm and dragging him away from everyone else near them.

Goten laughed as Uub let his arm go, "That's usually a good thing."

"Not for me," Uub wiped sweat from his forehead, "It's going _too _perfect. Something bad's going to happen, I just know it."

"Aw, don't say that," Goten reassured him and looked around, "The worst that could happen is Vegeta flip or something and blow something up," He paused and chuckled, "Actually, that'd be kind of amusing really--"

"I don't think it would be," Uub cut in with a serious face, "But then again," His frown deepened, "If something bad did happen, at least it'd calm me down--"

"Don't say that," Goten said with a hint of concern as he saw Trunks coming towards them, "Everything'll be fine, you'll see."

Meanwhile, back at the food table, Chi Chi and Videl were scanning the food selections as Marron followed behind them.

"I can't believe how all out she went," Videl sighed, as she looked at a platter of creme puffs, "It's insane."

"Hmmmph," Chi Chi frowned, "If my wedding hadn't been so rushed, my father would have adorned it with food much better than this."

"I'm sure," Videl replied with a less than amused look. Her face suddenly faltered toward Marron, "Dear, are you okay?"

Marron looked up suddenly, as if shook from a daze, "What?"

"You're paler than usual," Videl said slowly, her eyes scanning Marron's face. Chi Chi craned her head to see over Videl's neck,

"You're right, she does look white," She said in a pondering voice.

"I'm fine," Marron reassured them, although there was a weak feeling in her stomache again, and she slowly felt her insides churning. "I'll just...I'll be right back," She said quickly and swiftly made her way towards the bathroom.

Chi Chi shot Videl a very suspicious look, "Have you ever seen her get sick so fast?"

"Well, I've never really seen her sick before," Videl admitted.

"I'm going to go see if she's okay," Chi Chi said, taking off towards the rest room.

"What about the wedding? It's about to start," Videl reminded her, as guests started taking their seats.

"I've seen countless weddings," Chi Chi replied with a sigh, "Just go on and I'll catch up to you...maybe," She said with a sly grin. Videl nodded and walked towards the pews as Chi Chi headed into the bathroom.

Videl sat beside Goten as he took his seat, and the Demi-Saiyan gave his sister-in-law a strange glance. "Where's Marron?"

"She's not feeling well," Videl said and when she saw the troubled look in Goten's eyes she added, "Don't worry, your mother's checking up on her." But that didn't make the concern on his face diminish very much. Trying to draw his attention from the issue, Videl motioned towards the front of the aisle, "Bra looks stunning." Goten turned his head and noticed Bra starting her slow walk down the aisle, her blue-green hair in a curly updo and the most diamond adorned poofy dress he'd ever seen hugging her voluptuous frame. He slowly turned his head and saw the sweat run down Uub's face as he smiled at Bra. Goten grinned, and his worries of Marron seemed to halt for a moment.

"Blugggghh," Marron threw up for the fourth time into the toilet, as Chi Chi sat beside her, holding her hair back. She grimaced as Marron coughed and a little bit of vomit flew from her mouth. Coughing slightly, she gave Marron a considerate glance.

"How long have you been sick?"

"Since this morning it's been bad," Marron said with a teary voice, her eyes misty from the vomiting.

"Hmmm," Chi Chi nodded, as Marron sighed, "Not before though?"

Marron threw up again, and shook her head miserably, "No. Not like this."

There was a moment of silence, and another vomit by Marron before Chi Chi slowly raised a hand to her head and pushed back her black hair, which was dabbled with white hairs.

"And," Chi Chi said softly, "How long has it been since you and Goten have had sex?"

There was another eerie silence, followed by Marron's _very _weirded-out look to her mother-in-law. _Did she just say what I think she said? _Marron thought with wide eyes to Chi Chi.

"W--what?" Marron could barely get the words out of her mouth.

Chi Chi's eyes narrowed, "Do you really take me for a fool? You've been married two months. Most couples have already consumated their marriage by then, I had no doubt you would have already done so."

Marron was speechless, but her stomache still ached.

"So? When's the last time you have?" Chi Chi said calmly.

Marron felt her cheeks burn as she slowly looked away from her, "This morning."

There was a small silence and then Chi Chi slowly smiled and asked gently, "And how often have you...," Her voice trailed off, and she could see Marron's face burn an even deeper crimson.

"Once a--," Marron stopped and puked, "Day."

Chi Chi burst out laughing, "HA HA!"

"I don't find this funny," Marron said, her face burning as much as her throat was at this point.

"No, no," Chi Chi giggled, waving her hands as tears filled her eyes, "It's just that...I'm glad Goten isn't as naive as Goku in that area!" She grinned, and saw Marron's confused face. "He really didn't know what to do when we got married...I kind of had to show him the ropes, if you catch my drift," Chi Chi said slyly. Marron gave her a dumbfounded look.

"You're joking."

"No, I'm not," Chi Chi sighed, "But he's not an idiot. He caught on," And her face was reminiscent, "Although...not that much! ha ha," She giggled some more and grabbed Marron's hair quickly as she threw up again. Chi Chi sighed as she watched Marron lift her head out of the toilet. "But...I didn't expect this so soon...shows what I know about you young people."

"What didn't you expect so soon?" Marron said in a slightly aggravated tone. She could hear wedding organ music and was regretting the fact that she was missing the wedding.

"_What didn't I expect_?" Chi Chi said incredulously. "That you're pregnant!"

Marron's face whipped around to Chi Chi's in a fraction of a second. "_Excuse me_?"

The audience was clapping as Uub slid the ring onto Bra's finger and smiled. Goten had never seen him so happy. Trunks looked slightly uneasy as Uub did this, but the Demi-Saiyan could tell Trunks was much more warm towards the warrior now than he had been a few months prior. Bulma was wiping tears from her eyes as Bra said her vows. Vegeta's face was unreadable as it usually was, but Goten could detect the lingering scowl on his lips. Surprisingly, Vegeta didn't seem mad though.

"I wish Marron could see this," Goten whispered, more to himself than anyone, but Videl heard him.

"She'll be here soon," Videl said calmly, and wondered what was going on in the bathroom.

"What did you say?" Marron gave Chi Chi a slightly nervous glance.

"You heard me perfectly," Chi Chi smiled. "You're pregnant."

Marron glared at her as she threw up again, "I don't recall you getting a doctor's license."

Chi Chi chuckled, "Already with the mood swings? Ha, I don't recall you being a grump like this either."

"I'm not a grump, I just," She stopped and threw her head towards the toilet and back up again, "Don't feel well."

"Morning sickness does that," Chi Chi sighed. "It'll quit soon though...most likely."

Now Marron was slowly getting to her feet, disbelief carved into her face. "I don't believe you."

"Don't worry. Trust me, it goes away in a few--"

"No, I don't believe I'm pregnant," Marron said with a small sigh, rising to her feet.

"Why not?" Chi Chi asked, helping her. "As many times as you've done things with my _son_," She put a small emphasis on the word 'son', "I would think that pregnancy would be a given consequence."

"You don't understand," Marron said slowly, forcing her stomache to relax, "I can't be pregnant. I'm on...I'm..._uhm_," She paused and looked embarrassed.

Chi Chi suddenly understood, "You're on Madrid?" Marron nodded. Madrid was a form of birth control typically used by residents of West City and that area. Chi Chi sighed, "Well, to be truthful, that probably won't prevent it from happening one hundred percent."

Marron shook her head and headed towards the door, "I still don't believe it...I'm just sick, that's all."

"Suit yourself," Chi Chi sighed, "But ask a doctor to be sure, you know. Prove me wrong."

The blonde held her head high, "Don't worry...I _will _ask a doctor...and I'll be _right_."

Uub rested his hand on Bra's neck and gently led her head to his. They connected and kissed as the minister announced they were man and wife. Bulma wiped endless tears from her cheeks, and Vegeta gave a soft snort, as his eyes looked away. The entire audience gave a soft but very audible "awww," and clapped and stood as they applauded, and the couple rushed down the aisle.

Goten stood and clapped and wondered where Marron was, and if she was alright. As he watched Uub and Bra rush down the aisle, from above Uub's head he saw a blonde exiting the rest room, her face flushed, but otherwise looking happy and mellow. It was Marron. A wave of relief flooded through Goten as the crowd started to sift out to follow the couple out Capsule Corp's doors, and he reunited with his wife.

"Hey," Goten said gently as Marron made her way to his side. "You okay? You missed the wedding!"

"I know," Marron said aggravated as she tossed back her blonde hair, "But...I guess when the toilet calls, heh heh," She tried to look casual about it, but Goten's concern still showed itself.

"You're not terribly sick are you?" He said, his dark eyes narrowing, "We could go see a doctor--"

"Oh! Oh...uh," her eyes danced back and forth for a moment, "No, that's okay. I'm fine."

Goten gave her a seriously doubtful look.

"Really," Marron reassured him, as they made their way outside, following Uub and Bra. "Trust me, Goten. I'm fine."

Bra and Uub were now in front of a large black limo that was supposedly taking them to their Capsule Corp Jet that would take them then to their honeymoon getaway on Rockshi Island in the southern part of the world. Bra waved and smiled to everyone before tossing her bouquet over her head and jumping into the limo. A woman in red caught the flowers and snuggled them to her chest, smiling graciously as the other girls looked envious.

Uub looked up and spotted Goten, "Hey! See ya!"

"Perfect day, huh?" Goten shouted back.

Uub grinned, "Yeah. Who guessed it?"

"Just don't screw up tonight!" Goten shouted while laughing.

Uub leaned towards the limo door and gave Goten a sly look, "Oh...I don't think I'll screw that one up." And shut the door, as the limo pulled away.

Marron squeezed Goten's hand and he suddenly remembered she was there. "What was that about?"

"Ah, nothing," The Demi-Saiyan mused, smiling as the limo pulled off. "Just something between me and Uub."

"That's what I was wondering," Trunks came up beside Goten and Marron.

"Hey," Goten gripped his friend's shoulder, "Handled that well, I do believe."

"Whatever," Trunks smiled, but looked a tad bit upset with the whole thing still, "You still up for the guys party afterwards tonight?"

"What party?" Marron said looking suddenly at her husband.

"Oh," Goten smiled nervously, "Me and Trunks are going with some of the guys in the wedding to get some drinks tonight...if that's alright with you of course." He added quickly, ignoring Trunks' smirk.

"I...I guess," Marron actually didn't feel like having Goten at home right now...not with her sickness. "Wouldn't want you getting sick," She added.

"Oh yeah! About that," Goten said, as if suddenly remembering something, "I think you should go see the doctor about that this afternoon while he's still in."

_Drat. _Marron winced, not expecting that reaction.

"What's up?" Trunks gave Marron a confused look.

"Nothing, it's nothing much." Marron reassured the Demi-Saiyan. "Goten...I don't know..."

"You looked pretty sick this morning," Goten said with a Goku-like smile, "The doctor won't kill you. And it'd make me feel better," He added with a innocent grin, "If I knew what was wrong with you."

Marron stared at his face for a moment. _Why does he have to have that look? _She wondered, staring at his slightly pleading face. _Curses..._

"Fine! I'll go," She caved in, her face drooping. "But don't be out all night with Trunks, okay?" She warned him.

"Don't worry," Goten smiled and gave his wife a kiss on the cheek. "I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Okay." Marron smiled as Goten and Trunks walked away. She slowly wrung her hands and looked at the ground. _I'm sick...that's all...nothing to worry about. The doctor's going to tell me I'm just sick with the flu...yeah...that's it. _She involuntarily looked towards her stomache as Chi Chi's words echoed in her head. _The flu...it's gotta be the flu, _Marron reminded herself as she jumped into the air and headed towards the doctor's office.

The Capsule Corp. Jet landed smoothly on the beaches of Rockshi Island. The green palms swayed in the breeze as Bra and Uub exited the jet, it's turbines slowly turning off. The island was barely inhabited, and the nearest town was a few miles away. The condo Bulma had bought there was secluded, and very private, which made it a good location for a honeymoon.

Bra stood and looked at the beach and the sea that lay before them and felt a hand on her waist. She smiled and flashed Uub a grin, "It's great out here, huh?"

"The view's nice," Uub commented and smiled down at Bra, "Not nearly as nice as you though."

Bra smiled, and looked down at her wedding dress, then back up at Uub. "I know," She said indifferently.

Uub laughed, and kissed her, "Glad to see you're still modest."

Trunks laughed and laid down another bottle of beer. Several other men were laughing as well. Goten smiled and leaned back in his seat, "So then, what does Trunks say?" He gives his friend a small push to the shoulder. "Huh? What was it, man?"

The lavender haired Demi-Saiyan looked embarrassed, "I said, 'Hey Goten, let's strip him!'"

The group of men laughed and drank some more; Goten sighed and shook his head,

"That's when I knew he'd gone crazy." The Demi-Saiyan chuckled, as the other men roared with laughter.

"Yeah, and you still went along with it," Trunks smiled.

"True, and so me and Trunks entered the tournament as this 'Mighty Mask' and made it to the finals with Hercule--"

"Which was a brutal task," Trunks add with a sarcastic snap, "Let me tell you."

"--Only to get beaten and ratted out by my MOTHER-IN-LAW!" Goten said with a huge Goku-like smile and the group was keeling over with sharp laughs. Trunks shook his head and took a swig of his drink,

"We were so close to winning that, you know."

"Yeah, I guess it was for the best though," Goten smiled. The other men started in about Hercule and his so-called battle against Cell as Goten sipped his beer and looked around. Trunks gave his buddy a playful grin, and leaned towards him,

"So I have to ask," Trunks asked quietly, so only he and Goten could talk and hear each other. "If I'm not prying..."

"What is it?" Goten looked towards the other men, who were now enveloped in the conversation about Hercule they weren't paying attention.

Trunks smiled, a little embarrassed as he did, "How _is _it? To be married and...all?" Trunks grinned and wondered if Goten knew what he was insinuating.

Goten suddenly realized what he meant and he beamed, "Well...what do you think?"

"Better than my sister?" Trunks laughed, and Goten turned red in the face.

"_Now_! I'm not going to answer that!" Goten said with a small frown. "They're too different...why do you care anyway?"

"Just jealous I guess," Trunks answered slowly, swallowing the last of the bottle and reaching for another.

"I thought you liked that one girl," Goten asked curiously.

"Yeah right," Trunks scoffed, "She was just after me because of my money."

"Well, when you are the richest in the _world_...," Goten's voice trailed off and Trunks shot him a look.

"Shut it," Trunks smiled and drank from the newly opened bottle.

"It's true though," Goten mused and grabbed another bottle. "Don't worry, man, you'll find the one for you."

"And if dad doesn't kill her when I do," Trunks smiled grimly, "I'll be doing _great_."

"There just aren't any fighting women anymore," Goten said with a frown. "Dad and Gohan both married women that fought and were tough...you just don't see that anymore."

"It's a shame," Trunks sighed.

"Well...except Pan I guess," Goten added. Trunks shot him a unreadable look.

"Yeah, my mom thinks I have some weird thing for her too," He said, remembering his mother during Goten's wedding.

"Ha ha, _really_?" Goten shot Trunks a curious glance that was slightly amused.

"I mean, I like Pan and all, we've been through a lot," Trunks mingled with the label on his bottle, "But she's too young, I guess. By the time she's in her twenties, I'll be in my mid-thirties, you know."

"Yeah," Goten frowned, "But I wouldn't have a problem with you dating her."

"Eh?" Trunks gave Goten a look of disbelief. "Well, I'm glad you feel that way, but unless Pan was about six years older than she currently is, I doubt that's going to happen."

"You never know," Goten said as he took a swift drink, "I never knew that me and Marron would end up together...and here we are!"

"True I guess," The lavender haired warrior lifted his bottle and the other men turned to look at him. "A toast...to Goten and Marron!"

The men raised their bottles in unison, each smiling towards the dark-haired Demi-Saiyan. "To Goten! To Marron!"

"Especially Marron!" One man roared, "She's _HOT!!!" _He said with a drunken belch.

Goten felt his face turn crimson and his cheeks burn, and Trunks laughed, patting his friend hard on the back.

The door to the condo laid open wide, but the couple knew no one was coming near the house so it didn't matter. Rockshi Island was dead and a ghost place for all they knew. The door led past the kitchen, where coats and a tie laid across the kitchen table. Along the kitchen it led to a corridor, where a garter and shoes were clumsily in the floor. A few feet later, was gloves and a veil laying cast aside by the door to a bedroom. And once in that bedroom, and black pair of tuxedo slacks and a large poufy wedding dress lay lonesome in the bedroom floor.

In the bed, however, the covers outlined a figure's backside. Uub's black mohawk was barely visible from the top of the covers, as Bra's blue-green hair was intertwined with it. The only sounds that could be heard was the sucking noise of passionate kisses and the occasional shifting of the covers.

**_RING! RING! RING!_**

****"_What the Hell_?" Bra's voice called out loudly, as the sucking noises stopped.

Uub lifted his head out from under the covers. Bra's head could now be seen below his, as he was on top of her. "Who would be calling--"

**_RING! RING! RING!_**

****"I can't believe this!" Bra threw back the covers as Uub shifted aside so she could get up. Uub smiled slightly as she leaned towards the nightstand where the phone was ringing. He stared at the curve of her nude back as she lifted up the phone, "Of all the times!" She raised the receiver to her ear, "Hello?"

"Hey! Are you settled in yet?" Bulma's voice cheerfully sounded on the other end of the phone.

_WHAT ON EARTH? _Bra screamed in her mind. _OF ALL TIMES TO CALL-- _"Yeah, _mom_, we are..." She shot Uub a look, and her husband's jaw dropped in surprise.

"Well that's good," Bulma smiled, churning a bowl of cookie dough mix. Vegeta, who was sitting at the kitchen table next to her looked at her with mingled curiousity.

"Yeah...so...is that all you wanted?" Bra asked, trying not to be rude, but also sounding slightly hasty.

"What do you mean?" Bulma suddenly frowned, "Don't you want to talk to your mother?"

Bra lowered her head hopelessly onto the surface of the nightstand. Uub suppressed a small laugh; he could only imagine what Bulma was saying. The Demi-Saiyan lifted her head just enough to talk into the phone, "Yes...I do, mom, but...uhmmm...Uub and I have to unpack a little more...still..." She turned to give her husband a I-don't-know-what-to-do look, but he just shrugged.

"Oh...well, if you have to unpack some more," Bulma said with a small frown. "I guess you can." Vegeta gave a loud groan and reached for the cookie dough bowl, but Bulma tugged it away.

"Thanks, mom," Bra said, and suddenly felt chilly. She supposed it was the fact her clothes were missing in action, "I'll make sure to call you later, okay?"

"That'll be great, honey!" Bulma smiled, and finally gave in and handed Vegeta the bowl. "Tell Uub I said hello!"

"I will, thanks! Bye!" Bra smiled and slowly hung up the phone. She twisted and turned to Uub, who was all smiles.

"Your _mother_?" Uub grinned. Bra rolled her eyes,

"Of course! She'd have to call to check up on us!" She said, slowly leaning back towards Uub, who accepted her with open arms. "I swear, she's such a nuisance sometimes!"

"Well," He smiled, and ran a hand through her hair, "She's just watching out for her baby daughter I guess."

"Still," Bra said and she kissed her husband, as the covers fell back upon them, "She could have picked a better time."

"Good times, tonight," Goten smiled. Trunks and him were flying through the air, each heading in the same direction at the moment. The other men had left already to go home, and their buzz from the drinks was long gone.

"You said it...feels good to see you again. These last months have been crazy," Trunks said with a smile.

"Capsule Corp treating you good?" Goten asked.

"About as good as it could I guess," The Demi-Saiyan grinned. "Mom keeps it in shape. I just help run it."

"Still, gotta be nice to have all that," Goten smiled slightly grimly, "I wish that I could have that for my kid to look forward to...when I have one."

Trunks smiled smartly, "You won't have a kid, Goten! Ha ha, that's Marron's job!"

"You know what I mean!" Goten yelled back with a grin.

"I know," Trunks smiled, "Don't worry...with any luck and that training from Roshi, you'll win the next Strongest Under The Heavens Martial Arts tournament and get the ten million zini. Then you won't have to worry!"

"Ha ha, I guess I could do that," Goten smiled and pondered for a moment. "But then again, I'd have to make sure that Vegeta or you don't enter!"

"Heh, I'd worry more about Pan," Trunks smiled, "Dad's supposedly wipping her into shape!"

"No way," Goten smiled, "That'll be interesting."

"You said it," Trunks nodded and looked down, "Well, there's my house. I guess I'll see you around, Goten!"

"Probably sooner than you think," The Demi-Saiyan smiled. "Bye, Trunks!"

"See ya!"

Goten's figure sped off into the sky until it was out of sight, and then Trunks dropped down to the driveway of his house and walked into the kitchen. Bulma and Vegeta were still talking at the table when he entered. Bulma gave her son a happy look; Vegeta just nodded as he dipped another spoonful of cookie dough from the bowl.

"Hey there, Trunks! How was the guy's night out?" Bulma said cheerfully, but her voice was exasperated.

"Good," Trunks smiled towards Vegeta, "Making cookies?"

"I _was_," Bulma sighed, "Until _someone _saw fit to take the bowl and eat all the cookie dough!" She gave Vegeta a sour look; to which the Saiyan merely snorted and ate some more. Trunks smiled.

"It's alright, I'm not hungry anyway," He said, taking his coat off.

"I tried to call Bra earlier today," Bulma said with a small frown.

Trunks gave her an incredulous look, "Already? They just left, mom!"

"I know!" Bulma shouted back, her face looking slightly hurt, "But I just wanted to check up on them!"

Vegeta glanced at his son, who was walking past Bulma and now leaning on the door frame to the living room. Trunks frowned, "What were they up to? Do you know?"

"Nothing much," Bulma said with a frown, "She seemed rushed or something...she said she had to get off and go unpack." Bulma frowned deeply, "That girl has _never _wanted to unpack anything in her _life_!"

For a second there was silence, and then Trunks snorted out a laugh, as he realized something.

"What is it?" Bulma demanded, her face looking tense.

"Well, I mean," Trunks laughed lightly, "They are on their honeymoon..."

"_And_?" Bulma said, an eyebrow raised. Vegeta's mouth slowly dropped open, but he remained silent.

Trunks gave his mother another incredulous look, "What do people normally do on their honeymoon, mom?"

There was a moment or two more of silence, as Bulma suddenly pondered this. Vegeta's mouth stayed open slightly as his eyes widened and he suddenly gave his wife a quick stare. Bulma's eyes widened as she looked up to her son in surprise.

"You don't think--?!?" She said suddenly, with a shocked voice. "That they were--?"

Trunks turned around to go upstairs and gave his mother a smile, "It's Bra and Uub. What do _you _think?" And he walked out of the room, leaving a very disturbed and shocked Bulma, and a still-staring Vegeta.

For another second there was silence, and then all of a sudden, Vegeta roared with mirthless laughter, holding his gut as he shoved the cookie dough bowl into Bulma's stiff arms. The blue haired woman gave her husband a sharp look of embarrassment, but the Saiyan Prince did not stop laughing until long after her glance, and laughed all the way to their bedroom; amazed at his wife's naiveness towards their daughter and her new mate.

Goten slowly edged into the house, his eyes scanning the room. It looked empty, most of the lights had been turned off, so only the faint glow of candles surrounded him. The Demi-Saiyan assumed that Marron had already headed off to bed. That's what he assumed anyway.

He walked into the bedroom and took off his shirt. That's when he noticed Marron, who was staring at him, a book in her lap. She smiled casually up at Goten, but there was something different about her. Was it her face? It looked different to the Demi-Saiyan...somehow..._moved_? He slowly walked towards the bed and rolled into it with her. Giving her a peck on the cheek, he grinned,

"Reading?"

"Yeah," Marron shut the book and folded it under her arms, giving him a soft sigh and kiss on the lips. She seemed tense, like she was holding something back from him. Goten wrapped a hand around the back of her head,

"Something wrong? You're shaking," He said, noticing her shiver against his bare chest. She frowned, and tried to mask her surprised nervousness.

"No! Nothing...is wrong...why?"

Goten gave her look that hinted that he knew something was up. He hugged her against him gently, "You can tell me if something's up, Marron."

"No, no...," She gave him a warm grin, "Nothing's up."

Goten looked at her and then thought of something. He quickly turned Super Saiyan, which caused Marron to jump slightly, and cradled her against him, "Is this what you want? I'm sorry..." He started, but Marron gave him a quick laugh and leaned away from him, giggling.

"Ha ha, no, Goten! Ha ha," She suddenly stopped laughing and tried to make her face look serious. "I...uhm...I just wanted to tell you..."

"Yes?" Goten slowly went back to normal, his golden hair turning black again.

"I...well, I went by the doctor, like you asked me to," Marron said with a grin. "And you'll be happy to know that I'm not sick."

Goten kissed her forehead with a grin, "That's great, Marron!"

Marron leaned back against the bed headboard with a sigh, and smiled up at her husband, "Yeah. That's what I thought."

Goten noticed that she was rubbing her fingers against the edge of her book rather ancy, and lifted it slowly from her grasp. "What is this about, Marron?" He smiled, as Marron gave him a slightly nervous and horrified look. "Some romance novel like the ones mom reads?"

"N--not exactly," The blonde said softly and looked away slowly as Goten examined the cover.

Printed in bold red and black letters were the title, **_Parenting 101: Part One, Making Room for Baby! _**

****Goten stared at the cover for the longest time, and slowly in the pit of his stomach were feelings that filled him with more emotion than he knew what to do with. It was like the feelings he'd had the night of their marriage, but different...different in a way that they were rising feelings of love and happiness...but also a new one...

"Marron," Goten said slowly, laying the book down, and staring at the back of her head, as she was still turned from him. "What is this about?" He laid the book in her lap.

His wife turned to him with misty eyes, her face trying not to crumple, "G--G-Goten, I---I didn't want to go to the doctors...because I thought your mom would be right about me...and she was!" Tears streamed down her face. "She was!"

"What are you talking about?" Goten stared at her with a confused and concerned face.

"Goten...I...I'm...I'm _pregnant_," Marron squeaked out, turning away from him quickly.

The Demi-Saiyan stared at her for the longest time. She finally managed to choke out a sob, "I'm so sorry, Goten...It's so soon...I just...I was on this...it shouldn't have...I'm sorry," She said, facing him with tears in her eyes.

Goten stared at her and suddenly his face broke into the biggest smile she'd ever seen and he transformed instantly into a Super Saiyan and pulled Marron towards him, "ARE YOU KIDDING? MARRON, THIS IS _AMAZING_!" He yelled, his face the most eager and happy smile she'd seen from him in a long time.

"Are...you serious, Goten?" Marron said, smiling, "But...a baby...Goten, this is going to be a lot of work!"

"I know!" The Demi-Saiyan kissed her neck, "But we can do this! I'm...I'm just so amazed, Marron! A baby! We're going to be--"

"Parents," Marron finished, in an awestruck whisper.

"I'm...I'm going to be a dad," Goten whispered back, his smile growing deeper. "Marron, I'm so happy!"

"Heh," She smiled and kissed him on the lips, "I'm glad you are. I'm...just nervous, I guess!"

"Don't be," Goten leaned gently with her back against the pillows and stroked her hair with his hand, "This is going to work out...I can't wait!"

"Me too," Marron smiled and glanced down at her stomache, for the first time, realizing there was something there now other than the food she'd eaten earlier...there was a human life there now as well. She smiled and placed a hand there. Goten glanced down at this action.

"So...there's _our _child there now, huh?"

"Yeah, here," She placed his hand on top of hers, "Feel anything?"

"No, not yet," Goten smiled.

"Of course not," Marron shook her head, "It's still too early...but still," She grinned as she laid the book behind her onto the nightstand, "I can't wait either."

_**Well...I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I can't wait to get the countdown to the baby underway! Wooooooot! ha ha ha, this is gonna be fun! **_

_**Next chapter, the baby's on the way! Everyone finds out and we gotta make a baby room! lol ha ha, more to come next chapter!**_

_**You all are such a big inspiration! 10,000 PLUS hits and 136 reviews...wow...I couldn't DREAM of this, I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!!! You are my inspiration for this and you encourage me to write! Much love! Please, don't hesitate with any suggestions and comments, they are appreciated and I love hearing what you think about the work! **_

_**Please, be safe everyone goin' back to school, home and what-not! Peace out, and Rock ROCK ON!!!**_

_**Romania Black**_


	37. Burnt Toast and A Baby's Room

The Taming of the Saiyan

By Romania Black

_**I recently watched a WCL Kickboxing special...I'd never watched anything like that before, and I actually enjoyed it! ha ha, it brought a side of my childhood WCW love back into my life. (Go MACHO MAN!!!) ha ha, anyway, watching the fighters kickbox actually helped me get a handle on how I'd like to do some action sequences in my future stories...should they get written! bwahaha! Just wanted to share that with you all:)**_

_**Anyway, to digress from that, onto CHAPTER 37!!! YAY! I can't believe I'm already here. I hope you liked the last chapter, and this one is pretty humorous to me...it was fun to write, but took FOREVER because I'm so busy right now. Sorry:(**_

_**With school starting up, the chapter's may come in slower than usual..Please forgive me! I'm trying to get this to you as soon as possible, and also get this story done, because I want to get to the final two chapters SO BAD! LOL, I already have an idea for them...it's just getting it in writing that's the problem. Heh, but enough of my fickle worries! ENJOY THE CHAPTER!!!**_

_**Disclaimer: I own NOTHING of Akira Toriyama...but if he wishes to use any of my ideas...GO FOR IT! **_

_**This fic is rated T for TEEN due to Brief Language, Mild Sexual Themes, Alcohol Reference/Consumption, and Mild Violence Action.**_

_**Reviews:**_

**_Kumori Ookami: Aw! I know! I can't wait til you all get to see him/her! ha ha definately a cute baby! And yes, Trunks may seem lonely, but he's content for the moment I think deep down...but you never know. How can he be lonely when he has ME? -weirded out Trunks runs away- Noooo! -Runs after him- Thanks for the review! Enjoy the story!_**

**_Sinful Sakura: Yeah, finally Marron is preggers! ha ha, of course Vegeta and the cookie dough! His new trademark! ha ha, oh yes, it'll have to be a Go--name for sure...but is it a boy or girl? bwahaha, only I know! ha ha, well, ciao for now! I hope you enjoy this chapter just as much!_**

**_Witch of Erie Knoll: Ha ha, and Baby DOES make three! lol, I'm so happy you're still loving the story! Thanks so much for the review! Tell me how that book publishing thing is coming! I want to know, in case I decide to publish something one of these days! -Trunks rolls eyes- Hey, it could happen!!! Hope you enjoy the story!_**

**_Tony: There's no need to apologize, bud! I'm just overjoyed you sent in your comment:) Yes, Goten is going to train with Roshi, but more in the next chapters than this one...but it does get set up here. Same with Marron. The sequel story I'm thinking of doing after this one, will be more action than romance, but still be humorous. As I get more into DBZ, I think the next story will go along with it better..and not with GT (I try to keep from that angle a bit) anywhoo, I'm so happy you're enjoying this story and I thank you for the review! The next chapter will deal more with training than this one, but I hope you still enjoy it nonetheless! _**

**_Ace8488: Aw! Thanks! I'm so glad you found that humorous too! The briefs family is just too funny not to write about! ha ha, I'm glad you're enjoying the story and I hope you enjoy the next chapter too:) Thanks for the review!_**

_**Wow, you all do not know how lucky I am to have you here as supporters of this fic...It really means a lot to me all the support I've received on this story! Thanks so much you guys! I LOVE YOU ALL!!!! Please don't hesitate to send me a comment or review on the story! You keep it going! Thank you all a hundred times over for your kindness and support! Peace out and rock rock on! Most importantly though, **_

_**Enjoy the Story!**_

_**Romania Black**_

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Burnt Toast and A Baby's Room

"_YOU'RE WHAT?" _Videl cried out, hugging Marron for the second time since they'd entered the room. Goten had convinced the blonde that telling his side of the family first would be a better option, as Marron didn't know how 18 was going to react to the news just yet. Videl embraced Marron as Chi Chi slowly edged by with an unamused look on her face.

"Please," Chi Chi said with a slight roll to her eyes, "I already knew she was. She wasn't just sick you know."

"Hush up," Videl snapped, glaring at her mother-in-law for a second, then smiling back to Marron, "I'm so happy for you!"

"Thanks," Marron blushed, "We were excited when we found out," She gave Goten a sincere smile, and the Demi-Saiyan winked and nodded his head deeply.

Gohan walked into the room, obviously curious as to Videl's earlier hollering. "What's going on?"

Chi Chi sighed and pushed past him towards the kitchen as Videl smiled broadly, "Marron's going to have a baby!"

"You're pregnant?" Gohan said with a slightly apalled stare; his eyes glanced towards Goten, who looked happy beyond words, and smiled despite his surprise it was this soon, "Congratulations, you two."

"Thanks," the couple smiled as Gohan came up and embraced Marron and shook Goten's hand. Chi Chi returned from the kitchen carrying a tray that had iced tea and filled glasses resting on it.

"Here," Chi Chi said with a small sigh and a smile lit her aging face, "Have some tea, dear. We don't want that baby going unnourished!" She said with a quirky tone to her voice, smiling broadly as Marron took a seat. Although Chi Chi had tried to hide it, she was simply overjoyed at the prospect of being a grandmother again, and was more than willing to show it now that Videl had had her little celebration.

"Chi Chi, thank you," Marron sipped the tea and sat down. Goten stood next to Gohan as Videl took a seat beside Marron, her hands writhing within each other in excitement.

"Oh, this is going to be great! Have you thought about the baby's room yet?"

Marron paused, and set her glass down, looking towards her husband. "You know, we actually haven't."

Goten gave Marron a curious look, "Do you think we could make that spare room by the back door a baby's room?"

"I'm sure we could," The blonde said with a sigh, sipping some of her tea, "We could start painting it tommorrow or next week--"

"_EXCUSE ME_?" Chi Chi said in a suddenly thunderous voice. Marron's glass slipped from her hand for a second, and Goten stared fearfully at his mother. Chi Chi rested her hands on her hips, "She is not going to be painting anything!"

"Wha--why?" Goten stared at his mother.

"She's pregnant now! We can't have her huffing paint fumes! It might hurt the baby!" Chi Chi said with a level of concern in her voice. She shook her head, "No, Marron can stay here, while you and Gohan paint the baby's room and get it ready."

"_WHAT_?" Gohan burst out.

"Stay with _you_?" Goten said in a quieter, but nonetheless troubled voice.

"What a great idea, Chi Chi!" Videl chimed in, smiling at her husband, "You don't have anything to do the next few weeks anyway! They let you off duty for vacation!"

"But--V--Videl," Gohan stammered, a small sweatdrop falling down the side of his face, "That's vacation...don't we want to spend time together during that?"

"Oh, you'll come home in the evenings and we can be together then!" Videl smiled, slightly wickedly. Gohan stuttered,

"B--But what about Pan? I should be spending some time with her too!"

"She's going to be training with Vegeta," Videl said with a sigh, "She'll be busy enough. You need to get out of the house anyway, Gohan." She said crossing her arms at her chest. Chi Chi poured Marron another glass of tea as the Demi-Saiyan sighed, adjusting his glasses.

"Fine," He said. Goten gave him a pat on the shoulder,

"It's okay, Bro! We'll have a lot of fun making the baby's room!" He looked with slight concern, though, at Chi Chi, "Does she have to stay here though, mom?"

"She can't be at the house when the paint is still wet, no." His mother said coolly, but her eyes were narrowed.

"So...can I stay here too?" Goten asked curiously. Videl smiled wide; she knew why he wanted to stay. She wished Gohan was more like that nowadays, and looked towards her husband, who stared at her as if trying to figure out what she wanted.

Chi Chi grinned, catching his reasons, as Marron's cheeks flushed, "Okay, fine, son. Of course," She leaned towards Marron as she sipped her tea, "Quite active, _aren't _we?" She whispered quietly, as Marron spewed tea all over the carpet.

Bulma stared at the time on the oven, only a few more minutes and the baked rice cakes would be done. Vegeta loved them, she knew because he constantly requested them. Well, he threatened her for them, but she referred that to requesting. Turning from the stove to the window by the sink, she started humming to herself as she wondered how Pan and Vegeta's lessons were going. Nothing had been destroyed yet to her knowledge, so she wasn't sure if that was a good sign.

_It's such a nice day, _She sighed as she continued humming, _Those two'll be sparring for hours more probably..._

No sooner had she said this, however, the kitchen door burst open, surprising Bulma enough to send her towards the edge of the countertop in surprise. Vegeta stormed in, the right long sleeve of his new suit Bulma had made him torn off, and his right knee had a dark spot that hinted of blood. Pan was following him within seconds, her hair in a loose ponytail, and her face had rough grazes on them, her forehead pink from where it had been struck. One of her shoes was missing, as she hobbled to the table where Vegeta sat down and gave his mate a husky stare.

"Food, woman!" He barked loudly, his face angry. Pan silently stared at Vegeta as her cheeks turned pink.

"Calm down, Vegeta! It's getting ready!" Bulma snapped and slapped two plates on the table. She calmed down and looked at her husband, who was glaring at her, but silent. "Why aren't you two still outside?"

Vegeta shot Pan a look and then looked back to his wife, "We were hungry and I decided that food would help us replenish ourselves."

Bulma looked at Pan after he said this, who was silent, but blushing, "Is this what he wanted? Or you?" She said with a crossing of her arms. Pan simply nodded her head slowly, "We...both are hungry," She said in a meek voice. Bulma had never really heard her talk like that before. Something was up.

"Vegeta, uhm," She looked toward the oven, the rice cakes were almost done. "Could you go get Trunks? He's upstairs, and tell him lunch is ready?" The Saiyan gave her a glare and leering look, but finally disappeared to the stairs and climbed them quickly. Bulma gave Pan a sharp look, "What happened?" She asked eagerly, leaning towards Pan, who nervously waited until Vegeta was out of sight.

"Well, we were sparring, and I grabbed his shirt, that's why it's ripped," Pan explained quietly, "So he got mad and punched me in the face," She motioned to her grazed cheek and forehead, "But I..._uhm_...I don't really _know_," Pan said slowly, her face full of confusion. "Something happened and he got _super _mad and tried to fire a blast at me that I _KNOW _was too strong for me to handle." She bent her head sideways, making sure he wasn't downstairs yet. She could make out him yelling something, most likely to Trunks. "Anyway, I got mad and threw my shoe at him," She motioned to her foot that only showed a sock. Bulma chuckled at this, "But that's about it. Then he said we needed lunch." She became quiet suddenly as Vegeta reentered the kitchen, Trunks looming sleepily behind him.

"Hi hun," Bulma offered, her eyes tracing from Pan to Trunks, who wiped his eyes, "Lunch is about ready."

"Thanks," The lavender haired warrior leaned over the table and gave Pan a casual grin as he noticed her, "Training going good?"

Pan's eyes involuntarily ran to Vegeta's, who glared at her, causing her to focus back onto Trunks, "Yeah..." She said with a slight nervousness, but she tried to hide it well. Vegeta snorted loudly as Bulma laid some baked rice cakes onto his plate,

"Next time don't be so loud when you tell my wife everything," His eyes dazzled with fury, and Pan paled; he'd heard her tell Bulma everything.

"Uhmmm...uh," Pan sputtered, not sure what she was even hoping to say.

Trunks looked from Vegeta to Pan back to Vegeta curiously, "Tell her what?"

"None of your business," The Saiyan scoffed at his son and dropped the subject, gobbling down his rice cakes. Trunks, Pan, and Bulma followed suite silently shortly thereafter. Finally, when their meal was done, Bulma wiped her mouth and gave her son a tedious look,

"Could you run outside and get me a few things out of the freezer to fix for dinner," Her eyes fell upon Pan, and as much as she hated to do it, "You could stay for dinner if you'd like, dear." She almost regretted the words as they left her tongue.

"That's alright," Pan said with a smile, "It'd probably be better if I go home tonight a little early. But thanks," She offered with a nod, and Bulma smiled, approving of the answer. The Demi-Saiyan promptly got up and went towards the freezer. Pan stood up a few moments later, "Are you going to spar some more shortly?" She asked with a hint of impatience. Vegeta growled,

"I will when I'm _damned _well and _ready _to!" He snarled, then gave her a slightly considerate glance, "Go outside and prepare...get a new shoe," He said with the bare tinge of a smirk on his face. Pan's eyes danced with excitement as she ran outside to get ready for sparring, round two.

Bulma turned to stare at her husband in the now quiet kitchen with just the two of them. "What's up with you? What happened out there?" She took a seat beside him, as the Saiyan prince ran a hand through his hair, his eyes glancing towards his wife, with something in them that she hadn't seen for a long time; confusion, and the tiniest portion of fear.

"She...," Vegeta stopped and looked as if wondering how to phrase what he wanted to say, something Bulma rarely saw of him. "Pan did something...that was, unusual." He stopped and glanced at his empty plate, his scowl on his lips deepening. Bulma gave him an incredulous look,

"What'd she do?" She asked. Before her husband gave her a clear cut answer, Trunks slid back into the kitchen with food in his hands, "I got what I thought you wanted," He glanced down, "Is this good?"

Bulma, angry that her son had interupted her, gave him a stern look, "Just go outside and get some more! Your father's hungry," She added after a moment, realizing how uncharacteristically harsh she had just been. Trunks obeyed silently, looking slightly hurt, and ran back out to the Freezer, but not until after he'd dumped the contents in his arms onto the counter.

Vegeta stood up, looking anxious to leave, but Bulma gripped his arm, "What do you mean _unusual_? Is Pan okay?"

"Why do I care?" The Saiyan scoffed loudly, then seeing his wife's expression, let his brow furrow, "She's fine; now let go of my arm!" He motioned to where the sleeve was ripped by Pan, and Bulma saw the purple bruise forming there.

"_Vegeta_! Your arm!" She gasped, pulling it closer to her; The Saiyan growled menacingly.

"It's nothing," He said, almost casually.

"Why on earth did you let this happen?" Bulma poked it and the Saiyan winced, "It's going to form a huge knot now!"

"Leave it _alone_!" Vegeta roared and snapped his arm from her, looking sour-faced and cross. Bulma placed her hands on her hips.

"What's up with _you_?" She thundered back in a voice that matched her husband's. Vegeta was walking out the door, when he stopped and looked over his shoulder at her, as if not wanting to meet her directly in the eye. The bare glimpse of his eyes showed not fear, or anger, but pure...embarassment, and slight concern.

"All you need to know is that we fought, and Pan almost...," He paused again, and his onyx eyes flickered from her a moment, then shot back slowly, "I was a Super Saiyan then...and she was almost enough to handle me." He finished sternly and slammed the screen door behind him.

Bulma stared at the closed door for a moment. Her husband was holding something back; a feat he usually never did. _Something's up...I just don't know what..._

"Hey," Trunks rushed in, his hands stuffed with food as before, "Will this be enough?"

The blue haired woman gave her son an exasperated but grateful look as she took the food from his arms, and pondered on what Vegeta was really worried about with Pan...

Marron flew alongside Goten as they passed over a clearing, the green grass and trees looking peaceful and miniscule below them. Occasionally, Goten would find himself glancing at Marron's stomache, unable to shake the thought of the tiny life that was now inside her. He gave her a casual grin and tilted his head her direction,

"So...how long until you can't work out anymore?" He asked calmly, with slight hesitance.

Marron turned her head towards her husband, her blonde hair flying distractively in her face, "Well, the doctor said I could for about the first few months, but then I need to take it easy, so as to not strain the baby." She placed a hand involuntarily on her stomach, and smiled after realizing she'd done this. _I'm going to be a mother..._

"Oh," Goten smiled, "I see."

"Why do you want to know?" Marron asked him curiously, brushing a lock of hair out of her face and behind her ear.

"Well, I figured that you could train with me and Roshi for a little while," Goten said with a smile, "Just to practice controlling your orb energy you learned when I taught you to fly."

The blonde stared back with a slightly concerned glance, "I don't know, Goten...It doesn't sound too safe."

"Just for the first few months!" Goten said eagerly, his black eyes dancing with excitement, "And then you can take it easy!"

"And you'll keep training?" Marron inquisitioned, as they flew towards a clearing where a road was visible and so was Marron's home.

Goten thought for a moment, "That's what I planned to do," He replied. "Unless you don't want me to."

Marron smiled, but she did so hesitantly, seeing how much this meaned to him, "Fine, I'll train for a little bit with you, but then, you're on your own!" She giggled and gave him a light kiss on the lips as they started to descend towards the ground.

18 was sitting out on the porch, her feet propped up against the banister from the swing she sat in; Krillin was in the front lawn, looking back towards his wife.

"So, what do you think, 18? The birdbath go here?" He called out. 18 rolled her eyes.

"Whatever you think would look better," She couldn't believe they were discussing the location of a birdbath. "It's your birdbath, not mine."

"Yeah," Krillin frowned, "But you'll complain if it looks bad, not me."

At that moment, Marron and Goten touched down a few yards from Krillin, who jumped at the sight of them. 18 sat up in the swing. "Are you two argueing _again_?" Marron sighed as Krillin ran to give her a hug.

"Sweetheart, I'm not used to this flying stuff with you now," He said with a shaky laugh, giving his daughter a tight squeeze. Marron smiled down at him, "I've missed you, Marron," The diminuitive earthling smiled.

18 approached them with crossed arms, "A whole _month _with _no _visits?" She said with a sly coldness to her voice, "And you still owe us those chores," She said with a sarcastic smile.

Goten sighed, "Sorry, we've been _really _busy lately," He explained scratching the back of his head, in a very Goku-like fashion.

"I _bet _you've been _busy_," Krillin muttered under his breath, but 18 ribbed him before he could speak up. "OW! Don't, 18!" He gave his wife a glare, to which she glared back enough to match it.

"Don't be a goon," She whispered back softly.

"I've missed you too, daddy!" Marron smiled. "I have wonderful news to tell you two!" She said, hoping they'd take the news well. She prayed they would anyway.

"Really? What is it?" Krillin was now very eager to hear this. 18 casually listened, her face unreadable. "Did the house get fixed up already? Did you get a pool?"

"No, no, nothing like that," Marron smiled, "Although the house is almost done."

"Great! So...," Krillin thought for a moment, "Did you clean the sink area up? Did you put new plumbing in? Did you--"

"Dad!" Marron said in a surprised voice, "Hold on--"

"Did you get a hot tub?" Krillin rambled on, "Because if you did, that's amazing!"

"--No, I wish!" Goten cut in, but Krillin kept going.

"Did you get that new roofing put on? Because I heard it's expensive--"

"Did Goten get an actual paying job?" 18 cut in quietly, but no one seemed to notice.

"I don't remember any roofing, Krillin--" Goten tried to explain.

Marron crossed her arms and closed her eyes as the three-way conversation carried on without her. Taking in the silence inside her for a moment, she realized she had to do this.

Krillin gave Goten a frown, "But if you didn't get the roofing, then did you--"

**"WE'RE HAVING A BABY!!!"** Marron screamed, the other three silenced in a moment.

The blonde huffed, and was glad the news was out. "That's the news," She added quietly. Krillin stared at her speechless for the longest time, his face slack and unreadable. Goten sighed; he figured Marron was going to tell them about that time. 18 gaped and stared at her daughter, her face as unreadable as her husband. "We," Marron added, "Just wanted you two to know."

Three things then happened at once. Goten smiled, and wrapped an arm around his wife's shoulder and walked her towards Krillin and 18 more, Krillin's face burst into the widest smile they'd ever seen on him, and started jumping up and down wailing, "_I'M GOING TO BE A GRANDFATHER!!!" _and running through the front yard, and 18, who had not done anything since she'd told them the news, promptly fainted.

**_Three Days Later..._**

****"Hold the energy in your hand steady, Marron," Goten instructed, gently embracing her hands in his. They sat on the beach outside Roshi's home, Goten and Marron each starting their training just earlier that morning. Marron let out a tiny sweatdrop as she held the small orb of blue light in her hands. "There you go," He coaxed her, his face breaking into a smile.

"It's not so bad now," Marron smiled, the sweat bead dripping off her chin, "I think I'm getting the hang of it!"

"Peh," Roshi mumbled from behind them, sitting on a white hammock that stretched between two palm trees, a hentai magazine laid out in his lap. The old man smiled a flashy grin, which was missing several teeth, "That took you long enough..."

"Oh, hush up," Marron scowled, letting the energy ball slowly decrease until it was nothingness, "I'm not a _martial arts master _like you!"

The Turtle hermit smirked, and raised his magazine higher, "That's exactly right...you're not." The magazine was now covering his nose and mouth, so only his sunglasses showed above the pinup cover of a purple-haired half naked cosmetic assistant named "Plum Blossum." He ran a hand quickly across his bald head, "How'd Krillin and 18 take the news of the baby? You never said."

"Dad was overjoyed," Marron said as Goten tried to get her hands in position to make the orb again, "Mom wasn't too thrilled though; but I guess she'll get over it."

"She'll have to," Roshi muttered, but flipped the page rather than go into it more. Marron gave him a quick glare, before turning back to Goten for more practice.

"Think I'll master this like you have?" She asked.

"It'll take some time, but I know you can," He smiled. "That's what we're here for."

"I feel kind of bad that we're not helping out with the baby's room," The blonde sighed, starting to form the energy in her palms. Goten smiled and let out a short chuckle,

"Aw, come on, Marron. Krillin and Gohan are in charge of it...I'm sure they're doing fine."

Marron formed a large ball of energy in her hands and it shot from them automatically and started whirling in the air, "Marron! Oh, Roshi _look out_!" Goten yelled, while also chuckling, as the ball flew towards Roshi. The hermit jumped in the nick of time and missed the energy ball, that swished past the hammock and splashed into the ocean. Marron giggled,

"Oops," She smiled, "I guess you're right, Goten."

"Don't worry about them," Goten smiled and grasped her hands again, as Roshi muttered random curses, walking back to his hammock, complaining about his bad knees, "They're probably well into the project as we speak! Now let's focus on the task at hand, okay?"

"Right," Marron nodded and started forming the orb of energy again.

Krillin and Gohan stood staring at the ivory walls of the empty room, Krillin holding a bucket of blue paint and a paintbrush in his hand. Gohan scratched the back of his head as he looked down at the green paint in his hand. Both wore, to their very unpleasant dismay, white overalls and painters hats. Gohan's face was a fierce red; if Vegeta had saw him in this get-up, any reputation he'd built with the Saiyan Prince would have been utterly destroyed. Not that he cared what Vegeta thought, but the idea still gnawed at him.

"I can't believe Videl made us wear this," Gohan managed to mutter, his face a bold crimson.

"Eh," Krillin shrugged, "It's not too bad."

"Pan would think this was worse than the Saiyaman costume," Gohan said as he lowered the paint bucket to the floor.

"Ha ha," Krillin laughed and gave Gohan an impressionably doubtful glace," Gohan, _nothing _could be more hideous than that Saiyaman outfit, including this!" He smiled and looked around the room again, as Gohan huffed slightly in disagreement.

"So," Gohan finally said, allowing his face to cool down to normal, "Where do we start?"

"We have blue, green, pink, purple, and red paint," Krillin said as he examined the tin canisters beside them. "I was thinking of starting with a casual blue, then go into a gree---"

"Blue and Green?" Gohan said with an uneasy, professional voice. "That's going to go with a girl?"

"What are you saying?" Krillin said at once, the paintbrush falling slowly further and further down to the end of his fingertips.

"I'm saying," Gohan repeated, "That I don't think a _girl _would like blue and green walls."

"And how," Krillin asked with slight impatience, as the paintbrush slid further, "Do _you _know it's going to be a girl?"

"Well, it's logic, Krillin," Gohan said with a smartness to his voice that made Krillin frown, "You had one child and it's a girl, and I've had one child, and she's a girl. Goten's my brother, so he'll have a girl."

"For someone that went all those years to school," Krillin said through slightly gritted teeth, "You really have no logic at all, Gohan!"

"What?"

The paintbrush hit the canister of paint, as Krillin crossed his arms disapprovingly, "Gohan, just because you and me have girls doesn't mean anything!"

"But even Vegeta's second child was a girl," Gohan noted, "It's one of those years, were girls are abundant," he paused, "Or something like that."

"_Or something like that_," Krillin mocked, "You're acting _dumb _Gohan, it'll be a boy."

"Well, what if it's not?" Gohan protested.

"And what if it _is_?" Krillin challenged back.

Videl walked in to Krillin and Gohan argueing intensely back and forth. "_What is wrong with you two_?" She screamed, forcing the paint brushes into their hands and popping the cans of paint of their canisters. "Just start painting, okay? You can argue about the gender of your grandchild later!" She yelled, before spinning around and taking off towards the other room. The two friends looked at each other and sighed,

"Figures," Krillin mumbled as he dipped his paintbrush in the blue.

"Sorry, Krillin," Gohan muttered back, his paintbrush dripping in thick purple paint.

"Forget about it," Krillin said as he started to paint one wall's bottom half blue. "Let's just work on this."

"Yeah," Gohan sighed, then turned swiftly to the wall, and his eyes slowly traced to Krillin, "The baby girl would want it that way."

Trunks stood on the ledge of the Brief's house, his lavender hair swaying in the breeze. He held the coffee cup to his lips and drank slowly from it, his right hand gently laid upon his hip, staring out into the sunset. He was about to turn into the house, when he saw a figure running towards him. He didn't exactly know who it was at first, until his eyes caught sight of the dark blue-green hair that was sitting on top of the head of the figure running. Trunks lowered the coffee cup and stared in surprise at the figure racing towards him.

"Frost?" The Demi-Saiyan stammered, as the boy ran towards the steps; he looked out of breath. "What is it?"

The boy didn't say anything for a moment, before turning his brown eyes upward towards Trunks. "Nothing," He huffed, smiling slightly, "Just running over here to see if you wanted to train."

Trunks stared at the boy in surprise, "Did you run from Chi Chi's to here?" He asked with slight hesitation.

"Yeah," Frost grinned, "It was okay though...not too far."

_That place is REALLY far from here, _Trunks thought with a frown,_ And he RAN the whole way? _"You know," Trunks finally said with a slightly appalled look, "Really, I could have came and picked you up--"

"Mom doesn't know I'm here," Frost said quickly, his brown eyes looking momentarily concerned. "I didn't tell her I was coming here."

Trunks stared at him for a moment, letting this sink in, "What?"

"Please don't tell her either," Frost added, his face clouded, "She wants to be with me wherever I go...I hate it," His voice snapped bitterly, which caused his eyes to light up slightly unnaturally as he did this, "I don't want her to know you're training me yet."

Trunks stood there and tried to reason with the boy's words. It didn't make much sense. "She wants us to train you," He said slowly, "But you don't want her around when we train?"

The boy smiled grimly, "It's...complicated." He looked at Trunks with a pleading face, "Please, just for a few tries..don't tell her."

The Demi-Saiyan looked at the boy and smiled after a moments thought, "Fine. She won't have to know at the moment."

Frost's face relaxed, and he sighed deeply, "Thank you."

Trunks sat the coffee cup on the ledge of the porch and gave the boy a sharp grin, "Well, what are you waiting on? Go, and get in the gravity chamber," He motioned towards it, and Frost quickly ran to the chamber, his cheeks rosy, but his eyes hungry and ready for training. It reminded Trunks of when he was nine and getting ready for the World Martial Arts Tournament.

"Hello?" Goten said cautiously as he entered the house with Marron behind him, her face red from their exercises with Roshi. A small white note lay on the kitchen table that read simply,

_Goten and Marron,_

_Suno and I have gone out to see how Videl and the others are doing. Be home soon, there's food in the refridgerator Frost should be in the back room. He said he was going to sleep early because of his head hurting. Please don't wake him. We'll be home later. Much love,_

_--Chi Chi._

_P.S. Make sure that you don't eat everything we own Goten. And be nice to Marron. And don't wake up Frost. And don't break anything. And don't--just don't do anything stupid._

The Demi-Saiyan stared at the note and had to smile. It was his mother for him...he should have expected it. He glanced over and saw that Marron was sitting at the kitchen table, her hand laying on her stomache, which at the moment looked perfectly normal.

"Where are they doing?" Marron asked with her head resting on her palm.

"They're checking on the baby room, I guess," Goten said, folding the note into his pocket of his gi. He sat beside Marron and rubbed her back gently. She smiled and suddenly her eyes were filled with something...something Goten didn't really see often. "What is it?"

Marron stared at the table and then towards the toaster. "I'm...I'm hungry really." She said softly. "Could you fix me something?"

"Sure," They hadn't ate, so it was no surprise she wanted something to eat. "What do you want?"

"I don't know...how about some burnt toast?" Marron giggled, her blue eyes sparkling. Goten liked that look.

The Demi-Saiyan laughed and gave her a playful grin, "Okay," He said softly as he went to find some bread, hoping his cooking skills would be up to the task.

Pan slowly crept into her room, her face sore and hair tousled and tangled. Her sparring with Vegeta had gone well today, although she felt odd. She didn't know what it was, but when she'd blanked out something had stirred within her...and she didn't feel too partial to it. She knew Vegeta had certainly been resentful about it.

_Is something wrong with me? _She wondered as she crawled into bed. No sign of her parents, maybe they were already asleep...or still at Goten's working on the baby room. Either way, she was curious. "Maybe I'll tell dad about it tommorrow," She pondered to herself.

_And then he'll get worried and won't let you train with Vegeta anymore, _The voice in her head replied sternly. Pan pondered this as well.

"I guess that's true," She sighed and turned over in bed, resting her sore body, even though it wasn't dark out yet. She decided in her head that she'd continue to train with Vegeta, and eventually, get to the bottom of things.

Trunks wiped the sweat from his forehead with a towel; his blue eyes scanning the boy. He had given himself and the boy a good workout and was surprised that the boy caught on things quickly. He hadn't expected that, much less the fact that the boy had shown he could fight the basics rather well. Frost merely stood and wiped sweat away with his forearm, his face beading with sweat but looking unphased.

"That was good, Frost," Trunks smiled, "Not bad."

"Is that it?" Frost questioned curiously, his large brown eyes scanning Trunks with uncertainty.

The Demi-Saiyan felt a drop of sweat drip from his chin to the floor. "What did you say?"

Frost never missed a beat, "I said is that it? I was expecting more."

Trunks laughed, but a hint of nervousness came with it, "Well, that was just the basics. We'll start the really training later."

"Oh," The boy replied, looking more relaxed, and running a hand through his dark green hair that was similar to Trunks.

"Yeah," Trunks huffed, throwing the towel over his shoulders, "When Uub gets back from his honeymoon, we'll really get started with the training."

"Cool," Frost said with a grin that finally surfaced onto his face. "I can't wait," He said, clenching his fists.

"Me either," Trunks said with a hint of curiousity in his voice overshadowing his once nervous laugh, "but you'd better get back, before Chi Chi and your mother start to wonder where you were." He tossed his head up to hint at the darkening sky.

Frost suddenly looked alarmed, "Oh! Yeah," He gave Trunks a casual grin, "Thanks for the basics lesson." He said with a boyish grin.

"No need," Trunks grinned, as the boy took off sprinting down the road as if nothing had happened. Trunks gave the boy one last glance as he turned towards the porch door and walked inside.

_**Well well, how was it? **_

_**I wanted this chapter to be longer than this, but I figured I needed to Update MAJORLY! (I'm sorry everyone...I've been so busy I haven't even had time to sit down and write! Isn't that sad? -- ) So next chapter, I'll have even MORE stuff in it for you all to look forward to:)**_

_**Speaking of which, **_

_**Next Chapter, the baby room gets finished (but not without its own quirks), Marron starts getting into mood swings, Goten trains under Roshi, Pan dukes it out with Vegeta, and what's up with Frost??? Tune in to the next chapter to find out!!!**_

_**Thanks to all of you who have read this story, commented or reviewed. You all have no idea how much it means to me!!! I LOVE YOU ALL and thank you for all your support. I couldn't have done it without you! Thanks again! Much love and peace to all,**_

_**Peace out and rock ROCK ON!**_

_**Romania Black**_


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